Chapter 30

A hazy, blurred vision.

The smell of burnt iron mixed with the odor of burning flesh and hair.

A sky of blue, spread with mist-like clouds.

The thing that had been her parents just a moment ago lay over her immobilized body.

She cried out their names until her voice was hoarse, until she became dehydrated and faint from the crying...

When she came to, she was in a hospital.

The one peering into her face was her teary-eyed cousin.

"Dad... Mom!"

From inside the house, the noisy sounds of doors opening and closing could be heard.

Desperate calls echoed, overlapping with her own from that time.

She waited for the sounds to stop and the sobbing to be heard, then stepped into the house.

The dining table, where the family of three used to gather daily for conversation.

A girl clung to one of the chairs, her body trembling as she shed large tears.

Noticing Kena's footsteps, she suddenly looked up, but upon realizing it wasn't the person she sought, she let out another cry of sorrow.

If things continued like this, she would end up just like her former self.

The self who, a few years ago, had closed her heart tightly, despite the constant encouragement from someone beside her.

The weak self who thought she had lost everything.

So, she decided to teach this girl, to let her know that "I" would be there for her.

She didn't intend to force anything, nor to turn her around forcefully.

She just wanted to convey how invaluable it was to have someone by her side.

She was grateful to her past cousin and uncle and wanted to repay that kindness to this girl now.

Kena squatted beside Luka and gently stroked her back, just enough to touch.

She stayed there until the girl calmed down, until she felt secure.

"..."

"Exis, Quorke, I'll take care of this child."

"Alright..."

Holding the exhausted and sleeping Luka, Kena returned to the campsite where Exis and Quorke had already finished eating.

Kena had the leftovers reheated by Roxilus and quietly ate with Luka, who was still sleeping on her lap under a blanket.

The dinner menu consisted of a soup made with vegetables and meat, and some hard, preserved bread. The ingredients were provided by Kena to Roxilus beforehand.

Though there were usable items in the storage of each house, they decided not to use them for hygiene and safety reasons.

They sat in a circle in what seemed to be the village square, with a fire burning brightly in the center.

Kena positioned herself to shield Luka from the light. Roxilus stood behind Kena, waiting.

She had suggested he sit down several times, but he refused, so she gave up.

Upon investigation, it was found that the protective charms surrounding the village had lost their effectiveness, and Exis proposed camping outside in case a large monster appeared.

Kena, who had limited camping experience in this world, readily agreed.

After Kena finished eating, they discussed the current situation in a slightly lowered voice.

First, Kena's side of the story. After a brief recount of events from the hospital to the present, both were surprised to learn that other players still existed.

Coral's activity range was from Felscayro to Outarokus, so the chances of meeting Exis and Quorke, who were based in Helsper, were low.

Shining Saber, being a member of the knights, was a different story.

Their presence in this world was almost the same as Coral's.

They had played until the last moment of the final day and found themselves standing somewhere in this world after passing through a pitch-black space.

They weren't in the same guild as Shining Saber, but they had formed a party at that last moment, which was their common point.

"Why are there only two of you, not six?"

"Who knows... I don't know."

Quorke, whose true identity was known, was still mindful of his word choice since he would be interacting with more than just Kena.

Kena refrained from pointing out his contradictions to avoid being rude.

"Alright, let's talk about the reward, shall we?"

Kena's change of topic made Exis and Quorke realize a significant issue.

Since Kena had ultimately resolved the matter, the credit would go to her, despite the significant damage.

However, Kena chuckled and waved her hands.

"No, I don't intend to take over that request. My goal is to reach the Dragon Palace. What I mean is, since both of you have completed the event, I can issue the skill 'Enhancement' as a Skill Master. Do you want it? Don't want it?"

"What's the effect of this 'Enhancement'?"

"It boosts one of your stats by 20-30% for about 30 minutes. As you get used to it, you can use it on multiple stats simultaneously, but you'll feel a bit fatigued after the effect wears off."

In the game, there was no fatigue value, so Kena, who had actually used it, felt enveloped by weariness after the effect wore off.

She experienced this during the boss battle. Using it in a prolonged fight would be disadvantageous, but it was worth it to understand this.

Quorke, considering the pros and cons, and Exis, who suggested changing it to something else after some thought.

"Yes, Exis already has it. It's fine, feel free to choose what you like. However, some skills can't be learned if you don't meet the prerequisites."

"I understand. What I want is 'MP Conversion.' Do you have it?"

"That's a silly question for a Skill Master. But, it's quite a niche skill you're asking for..."

"Attacking is faster than casting spells."

'Special Skill: MP Conversion' is a skill commonly used by players who choose the warrior class.

It converts 5 MP into 1 stat point per use, making it the only skill to increase stats outside of leveling up.

To break the maximum stat limit determined by race, such skills are necessary.

The Dragonborn race, which has the lowest MP in the game, still had some MP.

Given their low intelligence, physical attacks were more effective than casting spells on enemies.

This skill can be learned multiple times, with no level cap.

Exis received the scroll Kena quickly created using 'Scroll Creation' and converted 5 MP into strength.

"Quorke, have you decided?"

"Hmm, if I'm asked to choose something else, I don't know all the skills... I have no idea what's available."

"Considering your attack pattern, 'Combat Acceleration' to increase attack speed or 'Illusion' to make it harder to hit might be good. The latter creates two decoys to confuse the opponent..."

"Then, I'll take 'Combat Acceleration'... Is it a spell?"

"Basically, it's a single-target buff. 'Combat Acceleration II' is for the party, but you'll need to complete a separate trial for that."

Quorke received the scroll Kena created. Exis, hearing the word 'trial,' sighed and slumped her shoulders.

"Your tower, or is there a better one?"

"Felscayro's northeast, but I manage the other towers now, so Felscayro's arena or Helsper's Crescent Castle are fine. But, Crescent Castle is Opus's, so I don't recommend it."

"Ugh, it's Opus's? But you manage it?"

Kena explained the current state of the thirteen towers managed by Skill Masters, including the possibility of exchanging skills for discovered information.

Quorke listened with interest, as he had no gaming friends and relied on players he met in-game for information.

For the past two years, Exis had been teaching them the basics, but survival took priority over delving into the game's core aspects.

"Master, here."

While explaining with gestures, Roxilus, who had been standing behind her, offered a blanket.

Kena realized her voice had returned to its normal volume and met Luka's drowsy gaze.

"......n, u...?"

"Oh no... Did I wake her up?"

Kena sighed, placing her hand on her forehead.

Luka, gradually focusing her eyes, sat up abruptly but wobbled and leaned back on Kena.

After covering her with the blanket, Kena gently lifted Luka onto her lap and asked, "Are you okay?"

"......n..."

The girl, who only lowered her gaze in response, looked at Exis and Quorke, who were sitting across the fire, with a weary expression.

Quorke, unsure how to approach her, tried to look apologetic but was slapped by Exis.

"Are you an idiot? Don't show a sad face to a child."

"Ouch! Don't just hit me like that!"

"Quorke, watch your language..."

"O-Okay... Being hit like that is... cruel?"

"..."

Roxilus poured warm milk from a small, enchanted kettle into a wooden cup and handed it to Luka.

Luka's dazed gaze swept over the quiet village illuminated by the fire.

Kena, seeing the girl's eyes cloud over as she realized her situation, couldn't bear it and hugged her.

Exis stood up and approached Luka, who was bewildered in Kena's arms.

"Luka."

"..."

Luka nodded weakly in response to Exis's gray dragon gaze.

"Kena says she'll take you in, but what do you want to do? Stay in the village alone?"

After a moment, the girl slowly shook her head.

At her age, she understood that without parents, a child had to survive on their own or perish.

In a bustling city, she might have managed by scavenging, but outside, she would be easy prey for monsters.

Moreover, the village no longer had walls to keep monsters out.

Luka turned to Kena, bowed, and said, "Please take care of me."

"Alright, Luka. We'll become a family soon. When we return to Felscayro, I have two sons and a daughter, and in Helsper, I have two grandchildren. I'll introduce you to them when the opportunity arises."

"......n..."

While Luka, expressionless, nodded, Exis, sitting across the fire, was sweating profusely and frozen in place.

Quorke, noticing her partner's silence, looked puzzled.

"What's wrong? Exis, you look pale?"

"Three children and two grandchildren... When did you become such a promiscuous woman!?"

"Seal: Freeze"

Exis, who had been sitting cross-legged, was instantly frozen by Kena's "Compression Spell," having not paid attention to the previous conversation.

Quorke, seeing her partner's fate, refrained from further comments, her mouth agape.

Luka, shielded from the scene by Roxilus, quietly ate the bread soaked in the remaining soup.

── The next morning

Exis, finally released from the seal, sighed and stretched her bones.

"Damn Kena..."

"It must have been tough, Exis... Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Kena just uses magic to cover up her embarrassment... I could have withstood it in my previous job, but this avatar is weak against magic."

"Even in the game, it was a daily occurrence... What a guild."

Incidentally, Roxilus and Kena's summoned "Night Hunter" (a two-meter-tall, pitch-black owl, level 300) took the night watch, while the others slept soundly.

After breakfast, Kena, ready to dive, was about to leave, but Exis volunteered to stay and guard Luka.

However, Quorke argued that they should report the incident, which had resulted in the destruction of two fishing villages, to the appropriate authorities as soon as possible.

Kena intervened, saying she would teleport them to the capital once she was done, and the matter was settled.

Exis, watching Kena's overprotective behavior, could only sigh.

"You're right, your magic and summoned creatures are strong, fast, and versatile. But why this one?"

A large, long, blue creature lay on the shore, occupying almost the entire beach.

Luka, who had never seen such a majestic sight, was wide-eyed and amazed, as was Quorke, who was still new to the game.

Only Exis and Roxilus remained unperturbed.

Kena, who had just summoned a blue dragon using "Summon Magic: Dragon" at its maximum level, was about to grab onto the dragon's horn and dive into the water.

"To be honest, I can't swim. Since I can't move underwater, I thought I'd grab onto something that can swim and go with it."

Kena, proud of her pufferfish swimming style, was met with a facepalm from Quorke and a pat on the shoulder from Exis, who shook her head with a smile, as if to say, "Don't let it get to you."

In the guild Cream Cheese, Tartarus was relatively sensible and often had to deal with the other members' unreasonable requests, learning the art of diplomacy. In such cases, a good smile and a polite nod were the best approach.

After patting Luka's head, Kena grabbed the blue dragon's horn and dove into the water, watched by Exis, who called out to Quorke.

"Hey, where do you think that ghost ship came from?"

"...? From a skill acquisition event, right?"

The answer was straightforward.

If it were in the game, that would be the case.

"Without the NPC to trigger the skill acquisition event? I don't think the game ever had an event where two villages were destroyed. Where did it come from? There were real-life events like pirates appearing on trade routes, but the ghost ship event only existed as a quest."

"Come to think of it, the people in this world are generally low-level... The number of monsters in the field is much lower than in the game. Even in a small area, there should have been something moving around, but not here."

In the game, the average player level was around 400-600.

Those over 900 levels were less than 5% of the player base.

In most areas, 600 levels were sufficient for travel.

For those who wanted to grind, the advanced areas of Heaven and Hell were the norm, but going there meant becoming a hardcore player.

While Reideil was a harsh game, it also had many elements for socializing and having fun with friends.

This was reflected in the quests, and events like the destruction of two villages were rare, even when leveling up Tartarus.

According to Kena, the original ghost ship event should have been manageable with two players at 400 levels.

"Should we include this in the report?"

"Only if they believe the words of someone from 200 years ago."

Quorke, being human, lacked credibility.

If asked how he survived for 200 years, he wouldn't have an answer.

Kena, who had cast "Water Breathing" and "Water Movement" to enhance her body, clung to the blue dragon's horn and dove deep into the water.

In the game, not having "Water Breathing" would gradually reduce HP, but in reality, it would mean certain death.

"Water Movement" allowed her to move as easily underwater as on land, without which her stats would drop by half, and her combat damage would be reduced to less than a tenth of normal.

Kena's usual equipment was still on, but the wet clothes clung to her skin, making movement slightly difficult.

She vaguely remembered that event-specific swimsuits were available, but the underwater realm was new to her, and better equipment would be beneficial.

It was also an area of interest.

Strange creatures, unlike Earth's fish, occasionally swam past the edges of her vision, but the blue dragon's presence kept most of them at bay.

Kena herself was too focused to notice.

Since she couldn't get the location of the Dragon Palace from the village, she used "Dark Vision" and "Eagle Eye" with the Guardian Ring to search for it.

Occasionally, she would ask the blue dragon to stop and point the ring in different directions to pinpoint the faint pink glow.

After several primitive searches, a reaction appeared at a depth of about 100 meters.

The Dragon Palace stood prominently on a flat area surrounded by coral reefs, the water around it a deep green.

It was a striking building that could have been in a tourist spot, and in size, it rivaled the castle of Felscayro.

The blue dragon landed on the coral, sprinkling sand and debris. The lack of damage suggested it was part of the Dragon Palace's facilities.

Kena instructed the blue dragon to wait and, holding up the pink-glowing Guardian Ring, loudly recited the password.

"O guardian of the chaotic era, save the fallen world from chaos!"

The distorted vision passed through a whirlpool, and Kena found herself in a vast space, stumbling on the unstable ground.

The red, Chinese-style room was filled with water, essentially a pool.

Numerous round lily pads, large enough to hold a person, floated on the surface. Kena had landed on one of them.

In the center, a large bud, about the size of a person's head, protruded, which Kena guessed was the core of the tower.

She poured about half her MP into it.

After a while, the petals slowly opened, revealing a large, pale pink lotus flower.

"Finally, the third eye... There's still a long way to go."

Kena regretted not asking for the locations of all the Skill Masters' towers in the past.

It was too late now, but knowing only one in the sky and one in the unexplored area was a significant problem.

While she was thinking about this, a cute, bell-like voice called out from behind her.

"Excuse me, are you a customer~?"

"Yes, the guardian... Oh!"

Caught off guard, Kena, who had momentarily forgotten about the Skill Master's quirks due to Luka, turned around and was almost overwhelmed by the appearance of the guardian behind her.

The protr