Trapped Inside My Favorite Game

Chapter 4: The Girl Who Knew Too Much

The Crimson Fang Alpha flew through the air, its massive jaws wide open.

Luna stood frozen for only a heartbeat.

Then the golden lines from Weakness Analysis sharpened before her eyes.

Every movement of the monster suddenly became clear.

Its muscles tensed.

Its claws angled forward.

Its neck twisted slightly to protect its throat.

Only one point remained exposed.

The glowing mark beneath its left ear.

"My only chance..."

Luna tightened her grip on the rusty dagger.

She took one step to the left.

The Alpha's claws slashed past her shoulder, tearing through her leather armor. A sharp pain burned across her skin, but she ignored it.

Instead of running away, she rushed toward the monster.

"What is she doing?" Captain Rowan shouted.

Kael narrowed his silver eyes.

"She's attacking."

The Alpha landed heavily behind Luna and immediately spun around.

It was faster than before.

Its tail whipped toward her.

Luna ducked just in time.

The tail smashed through a stone fountain, sending pieces of rock flying across the square.

The villagers gasped.

"She's going to die!"

Luna rolled across the ground and forced herself back to her feet.

The golden mark was gone.

The monster had protected it.

"No..."

She breathed heavily.

"The weak point changes."

The skill wasn't simply showing a target.

It was analyzing the creature in real time.

The Alpha roared and charged again.

Luna didn't look at its claws.

She watched its feet.

Its right front leg landed slightly harder than the left.

An old habit from years of gaming surfaced.

"It's favoring the injured side."

She smiled despite the danger.

"So you can still bleed."

The Alpha lunged.

At the last second, Luna stepped toward it instead of away.

Everyone watching held their breath.

She slid beneath the monster's chest.

Its claws missed her completely.

As she passed underneath, the golden mark appeared again.

This time on its stomach.

Without hesitation, Luna drove the rusty dagger upward.

The blade pierced between two cracked scales.

The Alpha let out a deafening scream.

Black blood sprayed across the ground.

Luna rolled away before the monster collapsed.

It staggered several steps, roaring in pain.

The golden mark shifted once more.

Now it glowed brightly beneath the broken horn.

Luna's eyes lit up.

"Now!"

She grabbed a broken spear lying nearby.

It belonged to one of the fallen guards.

She ignored the blood covering the weapon.

The Alpha charged one final time.

Luna waited.

Five steps.

Four.

Three.

Two.

Now!

She threw the spear with everything she had.

The weapon spun through the air.

It struck the glowing point beneath the broken horn.

For one second...

Nothing happened.

Then cracks spread across the Alpha's skull.

The monster let out one final roar before collapsing onto the ground.

The entire village became silent.

No one moved.

No one spoke.

Luna stood there breathing heavily.

Her arms trembled from exhaustion.

The rusty dagger slipped from her fingers.

A familiar sound echoed inside her head.

Enemy Defeated

Level Increased

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

She barely noticed.

The villagers suddenly erupted into cheers.

"We survived!"

"She killed it!"

"I can't believe it!"

Emily ran toward Luna and hugged her tightly.

"You did it!"

Luna smiled weakly and patted the girl's head.

"We're safe... for now."

Captain Rowan slowly approached the dead Alpha.

He examined the wound beneath its broken horn.

His expression became serious.

"One strike."

He looked toward Luna.

"She found its fatal weakness with a single throw."

The guards exchanged confused glances.

"Even experienced hunters couldn't do that."

Nearby, Kael remained silent.

His eyes never left Luna.

She felt his gaze and turned.

Their eyes met.

His expression revealed nothing.

But his sharp eyes studied every movement she made.

He replayed the battle in his mind.

She had predicted the monster's attacks.

She knew exactly where to move.

She discovered weak points no one else could see.

She had even used the village's bell tower as a trap.

None of that could happen by chance.

Kael walked toward her.

The crowd instinctively stepped aside.

His presence alone silenced the villagers.

He stopped a few feet away.

"You."

Luna swallowed nervously.

"Yes?"

"What's your name?"

"Luna... Luna Ashwood."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Luna Ashwood."

He repeated the name as though committing it to memory.

"You've received military training?"

"No."

"Hunter experience?"

"No."

He folded his arms.

"Then explain."

Luna forced herself to remain calm.

"Explain what?"

"You knew exactly where that monster's weak points were."

Her heartbeat quickened.

"I... guessed."

Kael didn't react.

"You guessed."

"Yes."

He looked at the corpse again.

"You also ran toward the bell tower before anyone realized it could be used as a weapon."

Luna remained silent.

"You chose the only path that kept civilians alive."

Still silent.

"You avoided every fatal attack."

He took another step closer.

"And you predicted movements from a creature no one has ever seen before."

The air between them became heavy.

Luna struggled to meet his eyes.

She couldn't tell him the truth.

She couldn't say she had once spent thousands of hours inside this world as a game.

No one would believe her.

Kael finally spoke again.

"You're lying."

Her breath caught.

"I..."

"You know something."

Before Luna could answer, one of Kael's guild members hurried over.

"Guild Master!"

Kael looked away from Luna.

"What happened?"

"We searched the northern forest."

"And?"

"There are no monster nests."

Everyone nearby looked confused.

"No nests?"

The guild member nodded.

"Those creatures didn't come from the forest."

A cold silence spread across the square.

Captain Rowan frowned.

"Then where did they come from?"

The guild member hesitated.

"We found... a giant crack floating in the air."

Luna's eyes widened.

"A crack?"

"It looked like space itself had been torn apart."

Kael's expression darkened.

"Dimensional Rift."

Luna's heart skipped a beat.

Those weren't supposed to appear until the final stages of the game.

Not in the tutorial.

Not anywhere near Oakheart Village.

Kael looked back at Luna.

His silver eyes were colder than before.

"The appearance of impossible monsters."

He paused.

"And a village girl who somehow knew how to defeat one."

He reached into his coat and produced a black badge engraved with a phoenix.

Then he held it toward her.

"You have two choices."

Luna looked at the badge.

"What choices?"

"You come with me willingly."

His voice remained calm.

"Or I take you by force."

Luna's fingers slowly tightened.

She had survived the tutorial.

Now she faced something far more dangerous.

The strongest man in the kingdom had decided she was hiding a secret.

And he intended to uncover it.