December 3, 2022. 5:38 PM – Hillside Edge, Floor 1

  Silver walked angrily among the last hills. He had just tried to cook the rabbit meat he'd gotten earlier. After battling with the system just to light a campfire, he had stuck the meat on a branch over the fire, just like always. Less than a minute later, that hateful notification appeared again: [Action failed.] Then he watched the meat dissolve into fragments of light, carried off by the wind, leaving him stuck with bread as his only meal.

  He decided to keep hunting monsters, venting his frustration on them and, with a bit of luck, maybe catch another rabbit. After a while, he had gathered plenty of wolf pelts, boar tusks, and snake venom glands—but no rabbit. Their speed was ridiculous compared to the other monsters. He even wondered if they were actually higher-level creatures on this floor.

  Lost in thought, he passed near a steep slope several meters high when he heard rapid footsteps and the howls of wolves—like a pack chasing someone. Looking up, he saw a human figure appear out of nowhere at the ridge's edge, followed by a shout.

  —Catch me!

  Silver felt as if he knew that voice while watching the figure drop straight toward him. He barely had half a second to react and throw out his arms before she crashed into him like a falling boulder. The impact knocked him flat on his back, his health bar dropping by half, as the figure landed on top of him.

  Silver propped himself up slightly and saw a black-haired girl. She was smiling with her eyes closed as she offered him a potion and thanked him. Still dazed from the hit, all he managed to say was that she weighed a lot more than she looked.

  Her eyes snapped open in surprise; her expression flickered from joy to shock, to seriousness, to disbelief, and finally to obvious anger.

  —How dare you! It's not my fault you're a weakling with no strength points!

  She shouted at him, cheeks puffed out like a squirrel.

  Her expression drew an honest laugh from Silver, which only made things worse. She stuffed the potion back into her inventory, her face blazing red from a mix of rage and embarrassment. She stood, dusted herself off, trying to mask her discomfort. Clearing her throat with a small cough, she muttered an apology for crashing into him—though her tone sounded more annoyed than regretful.

  It was then that Silver noticed her eyes. They were an unusual amber. He remembered those golden eyes that had helped him back when he'd almost given up in the Town of Beginnings. A strange, indescribable warmth filled his chest. He froze, staring at her for what felt like an eternity, until she, still irritated by his comment, asked if he had anything else to say.

  Scratching the back of his neck, he apologized awkwardly.

  —Forgive me, I didn't mean to offend you. You just look a lot lighter.

  The girl stared at him and drew her sword.

  —Are you looking for a fight?

  —NO! —he blurted quickly—. Sorry, I've never been good with words. Let's start over, okay?

  She eyed him, then put her weapon away. He gave her a sheepish smile and extended his hand in greeting.

  —My name is Silver —he said, remembering the guide's warning never to give personal info—. You might not recall, but you gave me bread and the beginner's guide back in the Town of Beginnings days ago. I never had the chance to thank you. So... thank you.

  The girl studied him for a long moment, weighing his words. She sighed softly through her nose, as if releasing her tension.

  —I'm Yuiha. I'm glad you managed to get back on your feet and leave that place. Not everyone has.

  Suddenly, distant howls brought them back to reality.

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  —Why did you jump like that? It was dangerous.

  —I ran into an Alpha Wolf up there and had to escape. Two of its pack were still on me.

  —Alpha Wolf? —Silver asked, puzzled.

  —It's a special monster. Like a mini-boss, but it doesn't respawn the mobs you've already killed.

  —Is it white?

  —Yes. Have you seen it?

  —I'm looking at it right now...

  Yuiha turned to see the Alpha Wolf approaching, stalking them like a hunter.

  —Bastard.

  She spat the word at the monster and drew her blade.

  —Aren't you going to teleport? —Silver asked, holding his crystal ready.

  —... I don't have one —she admitted after a pause, eyes fixed forward.

  Silver looked at her in shock.

  —But the guide says you should always keep a teleport crystal.

  —I KNOW! —she snapped, frustrated, still not looking at him—. I haven't managed to get another yet.

  So he pocketed his crystal and drew his sword.

  —What are you doing? —she asked, surprised.

  —Helping you —he said simply—. I still owe you, and I can't let that mutt kill you yet.

  —Thank you. Can you handle the two wolves while I hold the Alpha?

  —Piece of cake.

  Yuiha hurled a stone to draw the Alpha's aggro while Silver squared off with the other wolves. He waited for the first to lunge. With agility, he slid to its flank and triggered Horizontal Arc.

  He kicked the wolf sideways, using the motion to dodge the second. Regaining balance, he countered with a Slant and Vertical Arc combo.

  Both monsters lost half their health quickly. The first wolf recovered faster and charged again. This time, Silver slid underneath as it leapt, then unleashed Rage Spike, skewering the beast through the belly and finishing it in one strike. Rolling aside, he dodged the second's fangs, then rose quickly and cut it down with chained skills until it burst into shards.

  All the while, Yuiha had been deftly dodging the Alpha's blows, though unable to wound it. When Silver closed in, she blocked another heavy strike with a sword skill.

  —SWITCH! —Yuiha shouted as she pulled back.

  —...What? —Silver asked, baffled.

  —You don't know how to fight in a team?

  Her eyes widened in disbelief.

  He didn't get the chance to answer before the Alpha slammed its head into her stomach, sending her flying several meters. Silver charged the monster before it could pursue, landing rapid blows to draw its aggro, then blocked its next strike with Horizontal Arc. At that moment, Yuiha rushed in again, chaining Reaver and Linear, forcing the boss to stagger.

  —This is Switch! —she yelled at Silver as she struck—. One blocks, the other attacks while the monster's animation leaves it open!

  She kept pressing until she was forced to guard against a heavy strike.

  —Switch!

  This time, Silver dashed in with a charge skill, knocking the Alpha down. Together, they leapt at it, finishing the monster off. Both collapsed, panting, and downed potions to recover.

  —It's almost dark. We should move fast and get to the nearest town. There's a small one less than an hour from here —she said.

  —I've never seen it —Silver replied, checking his map.

  —It's a hidden village. It only shows up after starting a quest, but it's a safe zone.

  And so, they began walking together toward it.

  December 3, 2022. 7:41 PM – Holken, Floor 1

  Before the sun disappeared completely, they reached Holken: a tiny settlement that, officially, didn't exist on the map. Silver checked his interface upon arrival, but the village still didn't appear. Yuiha reminded him it only showed up after completing a certain quest. Without her, he probably never would have found it.

  Yuiha dropped onto one of the benches in the village square, and Silver sat beside her. Breaking the silence, he asked if she knew about the boss room raid the next day.

  —Yes, I'm joining with a friend —she answered.

  —I see. I was invited to join a party. I wasn't sure... but now I want in.

  —You use a one-handed sword, right? Then you should consider carrying a shield. At least for tomorrow. It might give you a better chance of walking out alive.

  —I'll think about it, though I didn't see you using a shield today —he replied evenly.

  —I'm not the type to take hits —she said with a faint smile—. I'd rather move fast than block. A shield would just get in my way.

  She rose slowly.

  —Thanks for your help... again. I'm going to rest and get ready for tomorrow.

  With that, she headed to a small inn and went inside. Silver watched her disappear through the door.

  Opening his inventory, his eyes lingered on the Warden's Aegis. Maybe he wouldn't sell it after all. Maybe he'd use it in the boss chamber tomorrow.