The cold faded as they descended.
Step by step, the mountain lost its weight.
The wind softened.
The pressure was gone.
By the time the snow turned back into dry ground, it almost felt like nothing had happened.
Almost.
Rui stretched her arms slightly.
“…I’m glad that’s over.”
Luma nodded.
“…Yeah.”
Mira walked a step behind, quieter than usual.
“…It didn’t feel like a normal fight.”
Seojun didn’t answer.
His hand rested in his pocket.
The crystal was still there.
Warm.
Steady.
⸻
The Fortress came into view.
Tall walls.
Faint lights flickering along the structure.
Other players moved around outside—some resting, some talking, some preparing to head out.
Normal.
Like nothing had changed.
Rui glanced around.
“…Feels weird coming back after that.”
Luma gave a small nod.
“…Yeah. Everything’s just… the same.”
Mira looked toward the entrance.
“…It should be.”
They stepped inside.
The noise picked up immediately.
Voices.
Movement.
The usual energy of players moving between runs.
A few glanced at them as they passed.
Then more.
Recognition spread quickly.
“…That’s them.”
“They cleared Level 2, right?”
“No way, already?”
Rui smirked slightly.
“…Guess word travels fast.”
Luma ignored it, heading toward a quieter corner.
“…Let’s sit.”
They found a spot near the side—away from most of the noise.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Rui leaned forward slightly.
“…So.”
She looked at Seojun.
“…You gonna explain that crystal?”
Seojun pulled it out slowly.
The fused crystal caught the light.
Soft glow.
Balanced.
Different from anything they had seen before.
Luma’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“…That’s both of them.”
Mira nodded.
Rui tilted her head.
“…Horseman and… her.”
Seojun looked at it quietly.
“…They’re stable now.”
No distortion.
No pressure.
Just… calm.
Luma leaned back slightly.
“…So what was that?”
“…A boss?” Rui asked.
Mira shook her head.
“…No.”
“…Not really.”
Seojun finally spoke.
“…They weren’t trying to win.”
Silence.
Rui frowned slightly.
“…Then why fight at all?”
Seojun looked down at the crystal.
“…Because something was making them.”
Luma crossed his arms.
“…The thing above them.”
Mira nodded.
“…The source.”
Rui exhaled.
“…So we didn’t actually finish it.”
Seojun shook his head slightly.
“…No.”
“…We just freed them.”
That sat in the air for a moment.
Different from a normal clear.
No excitement.
No clean victory.
Just… understanding.
Luma broke the silence.
“…And now we have that.”
He gestured toward the crystal.
Rui leaned closer.
“…What does it even do?”
Seojun turned it slightly in his hand.
The light inside shifted faintly.
Two different flows.
But not clashing.
Balanced.
“…Not sure yet.”
Mira looked at it carefully.
“…It’s not just power.”
“…It feels like… memory.”
Rui raised an eyebrow.
“…That doesn’t sound useful in a fight.”
Seojun smirked slightly.
“…We’ll see.”
Luma tapped his staff lightly against the ground.
“…Either way, we’re stronger now.”
Rui leaned back.
“…Yeah. Level 20, new skills, and whatever that thing is.”
Mira added quietly.
“…And more quests ahead.”
Seojun nodded.
“…Level 3.”
Rui groaned slightly.
Luma glanced toward the exit.
“…Means more players. More dungeons.”
Mira looked between them.
“…And probably more like that.”
Rui let out a breath.
“…Hope not too many.”
Seojun stood up slowly.
“…Doesn’t matter.”
They looked at him.
“…We handle it either way.”
Rui smirked.
“…There it is.”
Luma nodded once.
“…Yeah.”
Mira stood as well.
“…Then what’s next?”
Seojun looked toward the Fortress entrance.
Players moving in and out.
The four of them stood in the central hall of the Fortress.
Rui leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
“…So, what now?”
Luma rested his staff nearby.
“…Hopefully nothing.”
Mira’s eyes were on the screens hovering above the hall.
Then—
Chime.
A system announcement flashed in front of all of them.
⸻
System Notification:
“Nightmare Forest Development Complete”
“Effect: The domain has formed and is now active”
System Notification:
“Hero Vessels Summoned: Kingdom Side”
“Total Units: 10”
“Location: Wasteland”
“Note: Upon defeat, vessels will be teleported back to their kingdoms”
⸻
Seojun glanced at the others.
“…So the forest exists now. And the Kingdom players are farming monsters in the wasteland.”
Rui shook her head.
“…Not exactly ideal.”
Luma tapped his staff on the ground.
“…They’ll gain XP fast. Hunters have to act before they overlevel.”
Mira crossed her arms.
“…At least when they die, they just teleport back. No permanent loss.”
Rui frowned.
“…Still, we can’t let them run wild. Too much advantage.”
Seojun’s hand rested on his shard warden.
“…Then we prepare. Track them, limit growth, and make sure we control the wasteland before they do.”
Luma nodded.
“…The Fortress will be the base. From here, we can organize hunting squads.”
Mira’s gaze returned to the announcement.
“…Nightmare Forest and Hero Vessels… this is going to get complicated.”
Rui smirked faintly.
“…Good. We like complicated.”
Seojun looked at the horizon visible from the Fortress towers.
“…Then let’s get to work.”
The four of them moved, already planning how to handle the Kingdom players and the spreading nightmare forest.
The Fortress hummed quietly behind them, ready for the coming hunt