Day after day passed.
Lake Tross, once a place that had seemed overwhelmingly dangerous, gradually became a hunting ground they knew inside and out.
Their teamwork had become second nature.
Tanaka always stood on the front line.
Lisa and Rian took turns intercepting any Mostro that tried to surround the party.
Reina used her Rogue skills to break through the enemy's defenses before everyone unleashed their attacks together.
Meanwhile, Hana and Mina remained in the rear, supporting the party with magic and an array of buffs.
Before long, their levels continued to climb.
Reina, Tanaka, Rian, and Hana all reached Level 60.
Lisa advanced to Level 62.
And Mina finally reached Level 50.
“Excellent.”
Reina closed her status window.
“It's time to move on.”
“To where?” Rian asked.
Reina pointed to a passage on the map.
“We're still in the Lake Tross region.”
“But our next destination is Esmen Mine Cave.”
Esmen Mine had once been a thriving ore mine operated by humans.
But after Cronio's influence spread across Cosmia, the miners themselves were transformed into Mostro.
Now, the dark tunnels were inhabited by Mine Ogre Lv.70.
They still wore the tattered remains of miners' clothing.
Some carried axes.
Others dragged enormous mining hammers across the ground.
“That's creepy...” Hana muttered.
Lisa nodded.
“This used to be one of the best places to farm crafting materials.”
“But now... it feels so much more alive.”
Reina quietly observed their surroundings.
The cave truly resembled a mine that had been abandoned in the middle of its operation.
Mining carts still rested on rusted rails.
Old torches continued to flicker dimly.
Even the steady sound of dripping water echoed from deep within the stone walls.
Everything felt completely different from an ordinary dungeon in a game.
“Tanaka.”
“I know.”
Tanaka immediately raised his Burning Sword +3.
“I'll be the lure.”
Reina nodded.
“The Mine Ogres travel in groups.”
“If we fight them one at a time, it'll take too long.”
Tanaka immediately sprinted into one of the tunnels.
“Hey!”
Heavy footsteps echoed through the cavern.
One.
Three.
Five.
Then...
Ten Mine Ogres charged after him all at once.
“Now!”
Reina moved instantly.
Armor Break.
Critical.
Jumping Dagger.
Lisa and Rian rushed in from opposite sides.
Hana's magic exploded behind the pack of Mine Ogres.
Mina continuously maintained buffs while casting Heal whenever necessary.
The battle ended far more quickly than it ever had back at Lake Tross.
A few minutes later...
Every Mine Ogre lay defeated.
All they had to do was wait for the next respawn.
The strange part was...
Even after hunting for hours...
They hadn't encountered a single other player.
“It's deserted,” Rian said.
“The EXP here is great.”
“That's strange...” Reina murmured.
Krsssh!
A Mine Ogre dropped an old scroll.
Reina immediately picked it up.
All Job Weapon Manual
Max Level 150
A faint smile appeared on her face.
“Nice.”
She immediately stored the manual away.
“Yukio's going to love this.”
Not long afterward...
Lisa found something even more surprising.
Diamond ×1
“A Diamond?”
Lisa's eyes widened.
“That's incredibly rare.”
Reina nodded.
“Don't lose it.”
A few moments later, Rian shouted.
“I got something too!”
He held up a dull yellow mining helmet.
Mine Helmet
The moment he put it on, his appearance became unintentionally comical.
Hana immediately tried to suppress a laugh.
“It actually suits you.”
“Don't laugh.”
Rian scratched the back of his head.
“You should wear it for now,” Reina said with a smile.
“Once Yukio develops his Craftman skills, we'll have him make you something much better.”
Rian nodded happily.
But then...
The next drop left the entire party speechless.
Clang!
A staff fell near Hana's feet.
It radiated a gentle golden light.
Unlike any equipment they had found before.
Hana slowly picked it up.
Holy Staff of Belio +3
Mage
Level 150
No one spoke.
Even Lisa stood frozen.
Reina took a slow breath.
“That can't be...”
Lisa nodded quietly.
“This place isn't supposed to drop a weapon like that.”
Reina read the item's information once again.
There was no mistake.
The staff was real.
It wasn't an illusion.
Nor was it a system error.
“If Cosmic Online's mechanics still apply...”
Reina stared at the staff.
“This item should never appear here.”
Hana looked at it nervously.
“So this means...”
Reina slowly shook her head.
“I don't know.”
Once again, she remembered all the strange things that had happened since arriving in Cosmia.
Quests that had changed.
NPCs that behaved like real people.
Locations that no longer matched her memories.
And now...
A legendary weapon had appeared somewhere it should have been impossible to obtain.
“I think...”
Reina fell silent for a moment.
“This isn't a bug.”
“It's an anomaly.”
No one argued.
After all, the world they now lived in could no longer be explained by the logic of a game alone.
“Either way,” Reina said with a smile as she looked at Hana.
“Take good care of it.”
“When you finally reach Level 150, that'll be one of the finest weapons you'll ever own.”
Hana immediately hugged the staff tightly.
“I'll protect it.”
They continued deeper into the mine.
The farther they ventured into Esmen Mine Cave, the more the rocky tunnels began to change.
The air grew colder.
The footsteps of the Mine Ogres became increasingly rare.
Instead...
An eerie silence settled over the cavern.
“Something's wrong...” Tanaka muttered.
Everyone instinctively slowed their pace.
Before long, the tunnel opened into an enormous underground chamber.
At its center stood a gigantic stone monument.
It towered nearly three times the height of a human.
Its surface was covered with carvings none of them could recognize.
Rian tried to read them.
“I can't understand a single word.”
“It's not a human language,” Lisa said.
But Reina's attention was fixed on the base of the monument.
A black pentagram had been carved deeply into the stone.
The symbol radiated an ominous aura that sent chills down everyone's spine.
“Cronio...” Reina whispered.
The six of them stood silently before the monument.
No one dared approach it.
Then...
The ground trembled.
Cracks spread around the massive stone.
The freezing air transformed into a wind filled with black mist.
A deep, scraping sound echoed through the darkness.
Krrr...
Krrrssss...
A warrior clad in black armor slowly emerged from beneath the earth.
In his hand was a massive greatsword consumed by rust.
His eyes burned with crimson light.
Then, above his head, words appeared that froze the entire party in place.
Ghost of Warrior
Boss Monster
Level 90
Reina tightened her grip on both daggers.
Her expression turned deadly serious.
“I've never seen this Boss appear here before...”