The air in [ValTown]’s low-lit taverns usually reeked of cheap dwarven booze and the faint metallic taste of uncleaned armors. But tonight… a new, electrical buzz had cut through the familiar smells.“Murmur… murmur…”In a back booth of the Dragon’s Mug section, #Ela, a Level-124 Rogue whose combat skills were matched only by her dedication to obscure lore, flumped over her display. Across from her, #Jormung, a Level-105 Blacksmith whose massive forearms suggested he could swing a warhammer as easily as a stick, took a long, noisy gulp of his drink.“Murmur… murmur…”They were buried deep in the Game Guides & Lore archives, a corner of the Player Forums so seldom visited it was less a repository of knowledge and more a digital graveyard for dead-end theories. Their excavation site for today was [Unconfirmed Eastern Continent Fauna].“Another bust, Jormung. Every ‘Ancient Wolbear’ post is just a fuzzy picture of a hairy goblin.” Ela dragged a weary hand through her short, brown hair

‘The strange, haunting beauty of the Verdant Greens was the only constant in what had become a single, exhausting cycle of adrenaline and pain over the past few blurred days.’The initial pack of Prowlers had taught me a harsh lesson: the difference between a successful, calculated gamble and sheer, reckless survival was like dirt on the ground and dirt atop a mountain. I had managed to escape that first encounter, not through skill, but by burning through half my stamina, activating the Barrier Ring just as one lunged, and using the resulting impact and confusion to plunge headlong into a thorn grove the monsters were unwilling to enter.Since then, the forest had been an unforgiving teacher to me and to my pixie friend both. The air was constantly thick here, the light in the dense forest was weak, and the silence was always broken only by the confusing sounds of creatures I could hear but often couldn't see. My (Level) progress was achieved gradually; it was a direct result of t

We stayed there for a long time, the only sounds being our heavy breathing and the gentle, humming glow of the nearby Lumina flora. The Grinder Shard I just got was a fantastic reward, a high-tier material from how the system described it.I would have to get it checked along with everything else, but for now, I just kept it beside me."We need to rest," I sighed conclusively, checking the time. My allowed game time was nearing its end, and I was scheduled to log out soon. "We need a safe spot to log out and breathe."Using my slightly improved map knowledge, I guided us toward a small, enclosed cave I had spotted earlier, hidden behind a giant tree.“We will stay here for the time being. I have to go back now.” { “Ok…” }Once inside the dry, sound-dampened space, I leaned back, pulling my knees to my chest."Okay, safety check complete. Now… let’s see what the world has been up to."These past few days had been a little too hectic. Even when I was in the real world, the only thin