They reached the lake at midnight. Moonlight broke across the water in silver scales. Two shadows stood side by side on the shore."This is where the quest points." Sloane's voice was softer than usual, like it was coming off the water. "We split up. Look around."They walked the shore in opposite directions. The quest marker shouldn't have been wrong—there was nothing here. They came back to the start.Wren looked at the mirror-smooth water. A thought hit him. "What if the target's under the lake?"Sloane looked. The moon was reflected dead center."Only one way to find out." She jumped. She dove straight into the lake without a pause and sank.Wren gaped. The woman was hardcore. He waited, half-hoping to see her rise out of the water all cinematic.Instead a message popped up. Come down. It's a whole world under here.Of course it was. He jumped in.Ding. You have entered the instance—The Recluse Swordsman's Retreat.The lake was the instance entrance. Hidden well. When they landed

Green Bamboo Sword. Silver. Level 15. Attack 35. Strength +5. Agility +5. Skill: Green Bamboo Sword-shadow—blade becomes a phantom, dealing 200% physical damage to all targets in a 5-meter line in front.Beautiful stats, and a great skill to boot. Top-tier gear for level fifteen.Wren held it out to Sloane. "Take it. You can use it when you hit fifteen."She walked over smoothly and took it."Let's rest. The next one is Ewan." Wren sat on the grass and chugged a mid-grade health potion."Sloane. Is your family a martial arts clan? You and Wade both move like it."She softened. "Yeah. We trained from kids. He learned spearwork from our father. I learned swordwork from my master." Her voice was gentler now, prettier."Your voice is really nice. You could be a singer. Be a star." Wren blurted it before he thought.She turned her head away. She didn't answer."I'm good. Let's go." He stood.They walked deeper into the bamboo. Wren took point, watching for trouble. Past the grove was anoth

The next morning Wren logged in, stowed the Clear Wine, set aside five hundred casks for the army, put the rest on the shelf, started the Peach-blossom Wine fermentation, messaged Midas and Sev for pickup times, and logged out.Today he was finding a bigger apartment and buying a nutrition pod. His body ached every morning from the helmet.He browsed rentals on the 85 app. Not much. One place fit his needs. He made an appointment with the landlord and headed out.Magnolia Court was two blocks from his rental. Brand new, hyped hard a few months back, supposedly beautiful. He walked in, hands in pockets, and felt like he'd fallen into a different world—tall towers, cars, people. He needed to get outside more. He was losing the line between game and real.The sales office was still up. They hadn't sold out. A young woman in light makeup waved him over. "Sir? Buying a home? We're clearing the last units—was sixteen thousand a square, now twelve five.""Sorry. I'm here to rent. The landlor

The pod delivery crew showed up fast. They set it up in the spare room off the master bedroom on the second floor. Wren tipped them and closed the door behind them.Wren was alone in the big house. He picked up a mop. He gripped the end with his right hand, balanced a stone garden stool on the tip, and held it horizontal, dead steady.His heart was racing. The joy of the villa was gone. This was bigger.Where had this strength come from? This control? He thought back. It had started when he entered The Vigil. He'd noticed his appetite growing weeks ago and never thought about why. He could eat a whole pizza and still be hungry. He'd blamed it on the headset.Could the power he gained in-game be leaking into his real body?He set the stone stool down. He picked up the mop again and began to move it—Basic Spearplay, the forms. Wide, smooth. The hard moves flowed like water. He'd found something huge.The game skills themselves wouldn't fire, but the body was doing them. Either he hadn't

One Peach turned out to be the beginning, not the end.The foal ate it and stood on shaky legs. Then it nudged Wren's hand. Wren pulled out a second Peach. The foal ate that one too, whinnied happily, and started nuzzling his shoulder like a dog that wanted another treat."Okay, okay." Wren sighed. "One more. Then you're cut off."He gave it a third. The foal burped.Ten minutes later, ten Peaches were gone, and the foal was trotting circles around him, head-butting his thigh. Wren stared at the empty space in his pack where the Monkey Wine ingredients used to be. Well. He'd get more Peaches. The Hidden Paradise grove still had trees.He didn't have time to mope. He had a quest to turn in.He jogged back to camp and found Garrick in the command tent, already halfway through a cask of Clear Wine."Brother Garrick. The horses. All done."Ding. Quest complete—The Spooked Herd.Reward: Merit +10,000. Warhorse, one.Garrick looked up, genuinely surprised. "Already? I gave you this expectin