Morning light crept through the curtains in Rio's room.
Dust particles floated lazily in the warm sunlight.
Outside, the world was already awake.
Inside—
Ryota wasn't.
Or rather—
he was awake, but not present in the same way he usually was.
Rio sat up first, rubbing her eyes as she glanced toward him.
Ryota was already sitting on the edge of the bed mattress, headset in hand.
Silent.
Too silent.
"…Ryota?"
No response.
He only adjusted the straps of his VR gear.
Rio frowned slightly.
This wasn't normal.
Yesterday's silence hadn't disappeared overnight.
It had carried over.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Rio quickly forced a light tone into her voice.
"Hey, there's a fishing event in Evermount today."
Ryota paused slightly.
"…Fishing event?"
"Yeah. Limited-time buffs, rare drops, even special crafting materials."
She smiled a little.
"You used to like that kind of stuff, right?"
Ryota slowly nodded.
"…Yeah."
But he didn't look at her.
Not properly.
Not directly.
Just a half glance.
Then back to his gear.
Rio hesitated.
"…We can go together."
Ryota stood up.
"I'll go fishing."
Simple sentence.
Flat tone.
No emotion behind it.
Then he stepped toward the VR setup.
Rio watched him carefully.
"…Okay."
She didn't push further.
But her expression tightened slightly as he activated the system.
Both of them logged into Evermount.
—
The world returned in a flash of light.
The familiar sensation of data reconstruction.
Wind.
Sound.
System notifications.
And then—
the Town of Beginnings appeared once again.
Alive.
Loud.
Crowded.
Ryota adjusted his equipment immediately.
"…I'll go to the lake."
His voice was calm.
But distant.
Rio nodded.
"Alright."
Still no eye contact.
Ryota turned away and began walking.
Then—
Indra slowly lifted his head from Ryota's shoulder.
The small dragon blinked sleepily.
Rio noticed immediately.
She walked over and gently petted his head.
"Watch after him, okay?"
Indra let out a soft sound.
A quiet approving chirp.
Then—
he jumped down and followed Ryota obediently toward the lake district.
Rio stood there watching for a few seconds.
Until Ryota disappeared into the crowd.
Then—
she exhaled softly.
"…I'm not an idiot."
Her voice was barely audible.
She slowly clenched her hand.
"I clearly upset him."
A pause.
Her gaze lowered slightly.
"I didn't know Iron Steve meant that much to him…"
This time—
she said it properly.
Not "his sword."
Iron Steve.
As if finally acknowledging it had meaning beyond stats or durability.
Rio turned away from the main street.
"…I need to fix this."
She began walking alone through the town.
—
The market district of the Town of Beginnings was already busy.
Vendors shouted prices.
Players traded materials.
Blacksmiths hammered endlessly against glowing furnaces.
Rio walked through the crowd quietly.
Her eyes scanned every shop carefully.
Eventually—
she stopped in front of a small blacksmith stall.
Unlike the larger guild-sponsored workshops—
this one looked old.
Worn.
But experienced.
The NPC blacksmith looked up.
"Looking for repairs?"
Rio nodded.
"I need a sword restored."
The blacksmith leaned forward slightly, inspecting her interface.
"…Hmm."
After a moment, he shook his head.
"I can fix it."
Rio blinked.
Then he continued.
"But I won't restore it as a combat weapon."
She frowned.
"…What do you mean?"
The blacksmith folded his arms.
"If I repair it fully, it will become a relic-grade item."
"Non-combat use only."
Rio's expression tightened slightly.
"That's not acceptable."
The blacksmith shrugged.
"Then find another smith."
He turned away.
"But I'll warn you now—this blade is already beyond standard repair materials."
Rio stared at him.
"…What do you need?"
The blacksmith paused.
Then spoke slowly.
"Frost Wyvern Sap."
Silence.
Rio's eyes narrowed.
"…At Dragon's Peak."
He nodded.
"At the summit region."
"Frozen cliffs. Wyvern nests."
"You'll need to extract it directly from a Frost Wyvern's core gland while it's still alive."
Rio exhaled lightly.
"…That's easy."
The blacksmith gave her a look.
"It's not about strength."
He tapped the counter.
"It's about extraction skill."
"You need high-tier crafting proficiency to safely harvest it."
Rio paused.
Then frowned slightly.
"…I don't have that."
The blacksmith nodded.
"Then you need someone who does."
Rio stood silently for a moment.
Then spoke again.
"…I'll just get stronger and do it myself."
The blacksmith didn't respond.
But before Rio could turn away—
a voice came from behind her.
"Frost Wyvern Sap, huh?"
Rio turned.
A girl stood nearby casually leaning against a shop wall.
Blonde hair tied loosely.
Sharp eyes that looked far too confident for someone standing in a beginner village.
She tilted her head slightly.
"I can do it."
Rio turned.
A girl stood there quietly.
Blonde hair tied neatly, sharp eyes with calm focus. She wore the emblem of a high-ranking guild stitched into her sleeve.
Oblivion Pledge.
One of the top guilds in the Town of Beginnings.
Rio recognized it instantly.
More importantly—she recognized her.
"…You're from Oblivion Pledge," Rio said slowly.
The girl nodded.
"I can extract the Frost Wyvern Sap," she said calmly. "In exchange, I want Frost Wyvern hide."
Rio studied her for a moment.
"Why?"
The blonde girl didn't hesitate.
"For armor."
Simple answer. No hesitation. No embellishment.
Just intent.
Rio narrowed her eyes slightly.
"What's your name?"
The girl finally softened her expression just a little.
"Cynthia."
That name hit Rio like a memory snapping into place.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"…Cynthia?"
The most famous craftsman in her past life.
A player who had vanished without explanation during mid-game progression.
A genius rumored to have crafted weapons and armor worth seven million silver coins.
(100 copper coins = 1 silver coin… meaning her creations were absurdly valuable.)
Rio stared at her.
"…You're that Cynthia."
Cynthia tilted her head slightly.
"I don't know what version of me you've heard about," she said, "but I'm still a craftsman."
Silence.
Then Rio exhaled once.
"…Fine."
She extended her hand.
"I'll bring you the Frost Wyvern hide."
Cynthia nodded.
"And in return?"
Rio's lips curled slightly.
"You craft a weapon for me."
A pause.
Then Cynthia smiled faintly.
"Deal."
They shook hands.
A system notification briefly flickered between them—confirming the trade agreement.
As Rio turned away from the forge district, her expression shifted slightly.
Not excitement.
Not relief.
Something sharper.
Purpose.
Because Dragon's Peak was not just another hunting ground.
It was dangerous.
Unstable.
And tied directly to the next phase of Evermount's expansion.
Ryota would not like this.
But that didn't matter anymore.
Not right now.
Rio looked toward the northern skyline where the mountain silhouette cut into the clouds.
"…We're going up there."
And for the first time that day—
her voice had certainty again.
The morning air outside the Town of Beginnings was colder than Rio expected.
Cynthia walked slightly ahead, her steps precise and unhurried, as if she had already mapped out every possible route to Dragon's Peak in her mind. Rio followed beside her, hands in her pockets, gaze occasionally drifting toward the distant northern horizon where jagged mountains pierced through the clouds.
"Before we head out," Rio said suddenly, slowing her pace, "I need to buy something first."
Cynthia glanced sideways. "Supplies?"
"Something like that."
That was all Rio offered.
Cynthia didn't press further. She simply adjusted her direction.
"Then we'll stop by the market district."
The weapons shop they entered was loud with activity—metal clashing, NPC blacksmiths calling out trade offers, and rows of weapons displayed behind reinforced glass.
Swords.
Spears.
Daggers.
Even experimental magic-infused armaments lined the walls.
Rio's eyes scanned quickly.
Then she paused.
"…It dropped."
Cynthia followed her gaze.
Displayed on a polished stand was an Imperial Saber.
The price tag flickered:
7 Copper Coins → 5 Copper Coins (Limited Adjustment Sale)
Rio stared at it for a second longer than she intended.
Then, quietly—
"Good."
Cynthia noticed the shift in her expression.
"So," Cynthia said, watching her carefully, "you're a swordsman."
Rio blinked once.
"…Sort of."
She reached out briefly, adjusting the edge of her glove.
"My name is Rio."
Cynthia gave a small nod. "Cynthia. I know."
Rio didn't react to that.
Instead, she turned away from the display.
"Let's go."
The next stop was the skill shop.
Unlike the weapons store, this building was quieter. Rows of glowing crystal panels floated in midair, each one displaying skill descriptions, costs, and compatibility tags.
Cynthia glanced around.
Most of the skills here were mid-tier or beginner utilities.
Nothing particularly impressive.
She assumed Rio was here to pick something strong.
A burst skill.
A high-damage finisher.
Something that matched the way she fought.
But Rio stopped at the sword skill section.
Her eyes scanned carefully.
Cynthia leaned slightly forward.
"If you're buying sword skills," she said, "there are better ranged techniques in the 10 to 20 copper range. Those would complement your weapon far more efficiently."
Rio didn't respond immediately.
Instead, her eyes settled on one particular entry.
A faint glow pulsed from it.
Then she selected it.
Skill Acquired: Butterfly Dance
Cynthia blinked.
"…Huh?"
The system description expanded:
A beginner sword technique that releases four energy butterflies toward a target.
Mana Cost: 5
Cooldown: 4 seconds
Damage Output: ~5% per hit (20% total maximum)
Tracking Property: High-grade homing
Classification: Entry-level ranged sword skill
Cynthia stared at it.
"…That's it?"
Rio nodded.
"That's it."
Cynthia turned toward her fully now.
"Rio. I don't think you understand. That's a beginner skill. Most sword techniques here are at least triple the damage output. Some even scale with stats or weapon affinity."
She paused.
"This… barely qualifies as combat-effective."
Rio closed the menu calmly.
"I know."
That answer made Cynthia hesitate.
"…Then why buy it?"
Rio looked at her for a moment.
Then answered simply.
"It fits my skill set."
Silence.
Cynthia narrowed her eyes slightly.
That wasn't the answer of someone inexperienced.
But it also wasn't the answer of someone following conventional logic.
It was… something else.
A decision made with certainty.
Still—
Cynthia couldn't fully hide her doubt.
"…You're an unusual player."
Rio didn't deny it.
Instead, she turned toward the exit.
"Let's go. We're wasting daylight."
Cynthia followed—but her gaze lingered a little longer than before.
Because something about Rio didn't match the skill she had just purchased.
Not even slightly.
They had barely stepped outside when—
"Oi."
A voice called out from behind Cynthia.
Both women turned.
Standing there was a familiar figure clad in light armor, long hair tied back neatly, and a confident posture that carried authority even without speaking.
Kiraya.
Vice Captain of Eternity Lions.
Her gaze immediately landed on Rio.
"…So it's you," Kiraya said.
Cynthia stiffened slightly.
Rio, however, remained calm.
Kiraya crossed her arms.
"You're the one causing half the rumors in town. Apex Guild leader. Hidden dungeon clearers. And now you're casually buying beginner skills?"
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Are you serious?"
Cynthia glanced between them, confused by the tension.
Rio simply shrugged.
"I needed it."
Kiraya scoffed lightly.
"Right."
But her expression didn't fully dismiss it.
Because Kiraya had seen Rio fight.
And she knew better than to assume simplicity meant weakness.
Still—
Her gaze drifted to Cynthia.
"…Oblivion Pledge's craftsman," she noted.
Cynthia nodded once.
Kiraya exhaled.
"You're heading toward Dragon's Peak, aren't you?"