The wind swept gently across the open grassland, bending the tall blades in soft waves that caught the morning light like threads of glass. The air smelled faintly sweet, touched with wildflowers. We had been walking for hours, and somewhere beyond the endless rippling green, thin trails of smoke rose into the sky—tiny wisps marking the edge of a small roadside town crouched low against the horizon.
"Maybe we should take a break soon," I said, glancing back.
"Yes, please!" Lilis stretched her arms high, her voice bursting with relief. "We've been walking forever. I just wanna sit down for five minutes."
"Rest if you must," Mariona said sharply without even looking over her shoulder, "but don't let your guard down." Her eyes were scanning the far edges of the plain, sharp and wary, like a hawk gliding over its prey. "There are bandits and beasts in this region. They hunt travelers."
"Heh. If something tries, we'll just send it crawling back to whatever hole it came from," Caina muttered with a quiet grin.
As the town came into clearer view, a cluster of figures took shape at the roadside ahead—adventurers, from the look of them. They stood in a loose circle, speaking low, their posture sharp and disciplined. One of them had a map spread out across his arm, tracing something with a gloved finger while the others nodded with grim, practiced focus. Everything about them, from their weathered armor to the way their eyes flicked over their surroundings, radiated that unmistakable weight of experience.
"Hmm? Those guys…" Lilis's voice trailed off, low and curious.
Mariona's gaze narrowed. "That crest… Blood Raven," she murmured, almost like a curse.
"Blood… Raven?" I repeated, frowning.
She nodded slowly. The emblem stood out now—etched on the breastplates they wore, a black raven with wings spread wide, and faint crimson lines carved across their armor like dried veins of blood. Something about it carried an oppressive air, like heat without flame.
"They're an adventurer party that's been climbing the ranks at an unnatural pace. Famous for their… efficiency. Every move calculated, every strike exact."
Cain's eyes flicked toward me as she spoke next, quiet but certain. "Yeah. I've read about them. Their combat synergy's supposed to be top-tier."
"Sounds kinda cool," Lilis said, curiosity bright in her eyes.
(But what are people like them doing out here…?)
Meeting a named party like Blood Raven in a place like this was rare—and not always a good thing. Not every famous adventurer moved for noble reasons. A tight knot of caution twisted low in my chest as we drew closer.
Then one of them stepped out.
The man walked with the kind of confidence that came from surviving too many battles. His armor was a deep black steel, polished to a dark shine, thick with old scratches and dents that spoke more honestly than any medals. Every step landed heavy and sure, the dull clink of his gear carrying across the quiet grass. His sharp golden eyes scanned over us, cool and precise, and his mouth held the faint curve of someone who knew he didn't need to prove anything.
"So," he said evenly, his voice calm but edged with something colder, "you're heading for the Valley of Seals too?"
His golden hair caught the sunlight as he stopped a few paces away, standing like a wall. "I'm Wolfgang," he said, his tone smooth, deliberate. "Leader of Blood Raven."
The others fanned behind him like shadowed wings, each armed differently—spear, sword, bow, staff—but every weapon bore the care of a master. Their eyes, sharp and silent, measured us like weighing coins.
"…Blood Raven," Caina murmured, and for the first time, I saw a flicker of something sharp flash in her usually calm gaze. "I've heard they're one of the app's highest-rated synergy parties. Said to be one of the most efficient formations ever generated."
"Oh? You know of us," Wolfgang said, his smile just faint enough to sting. "We are what happens when you follow the app's guidance without hesitation. The ideal team. The perfect balance."
"But," I said slowly, "can a party really be the strongest just by doing what the app tells you?"
"Of course." His reply came like stone falling. No hesitation. "Only the chosen survive. The weak fall away. That is nature."
"…Chosen?" Lilis's brows drew together.
"The weak are cut off. The strong inherit the future," Wolfgang said, and there wasn't even the shadow of doubt in his voice. "We are the chosen. The app proves it."
Something about that word made the air around us feel thinner.
"Just because the app says something doesn't make it absolute," I said. "You trust it that much?"
"I do," he said simply, a cold smile slipping across his lips. "We walk the path the world itself has laid. The most rational path."
Caina let out a quiet breath and lifted one shoulder in a small shrug. "These guys are total believers…"
"Feels kinda like a cult," Lilis whispered, just loud enough for me to hear. Her eyes had a faint mocking glint.
Wolfgang didn't even blink. "If you're meant to be chosen as well," he said, "you'll prove it ahead. The Valley of Seals is a place of trials. We will walk through it—as the chosen—and endure."
"Trials?" I asked.
"Yes," Wolfgang said, his voice almost reverent. "Before coming here, we gathered every scrap of information about it. They say only those truly worthy come back alive. The rest vanish."
"So… it's like some kind of… selection?" Lilis asked, her lips twisting slightly. Something unreadable passed over her face.
"You could call it that," Wolfgang said, and his smile sharpened. "We go to confirm that only the true strong are chosen there."
His conviction was heavy enough to press against my ribs.
Even as caution prickled through me, even as doubt curled like smoke around his words, I found myself nodding. We needed to see it. To understand what they called "selection."
Whatever the truth was—we had to find it.
Notes:
• Lilis - Agile rogue/thief — Leon's close friend and playful teaser. Strikes fast with twin daggers and vanishes into stealth. Petite, light-blonde hair, mischievous green eyes. Reminder: Playful trickster hiding sharp instincts.
• Mariona - 'Flame Witch' scholar (v2c1) — Lilis's strict but warm mentor, holds deep Zelva lore and fire magic. Small, long white hair, keen amber eyes. Reminder: Stern teacher, secretly cares deeply.
• Caina - Calm, brilliant mage — the group's strategist and analyst. Uses lightning magic with precise, logical focus. Slender, silver hair, calm blue eyes. Reminder: Stoic thinker and precision spellcaster.