The road north of Mistvale gradually narrowed into a dirt trail surrounded by towering pines and endless stretches of emerald grass.
A wooden sign stood beside the entrance.
Greenwood Expanse
Recommended Level: 1–5
Primary Monsters:
* Horned Rabbits (Lv. 1)
* Moss Wolves (Lv. 2)
* Forest Boars (Lv. 3)
* Thorn Vines (Lv. 4)
* Emerald Lynx (Lv. 5)
Beyond the sign, dozens of novice adventurers could already be seen fighting scattered monsters.
Some fought alone.
Others formed parties of three or four.
Occasionally, flashes of magic erupted among the trees as beginner mages tested their first spells.
Cole stretched her shoulders before drawing her wooden sword.
"Welcome to Greenwood Expanse."
Aster quietly unsheathed his own.
"This is my first real battle."
She smiled.
"Don't worry."
"The Horned Rabbits are harmless unless you corner them."
"And if anything goes wrong..."
She pointed toward the system notification still displayed in the corner of his vision.
"You'll teleport before dying."
Aster nodded.
"Still..."
"I'd rather not experience that."
Cole laughed.
"Same."
A rustling sound came from the nearby bushes.
A small creature leapt into the open.
Its body resembled an ordinary rabbit, except two sharp black horns curved backward from its forehead.
Horned Rabbit
Level 1
"There!"
Cole immediately dashed forward.
Her movements were smooth.
With a quick step—
"Swift Slash!"
A silver arc cut across the air.
The rabbit was struck before it could react.
Aster instinctively followed.
Although Swift Slash remained only temporarily borrowed...
Its movements flowed naturally through his body.
One step.
Draw.
Slash.
The wooden sword struck the rabbit's side.
The creature stumbled backward before collapsing into particles of light.
Horned Rabbit Defeated
Experience Gained: 20 EXP
Party Bonus Applied
Aster blinked.
"Twenty?"
Cole sheathed her sword.
"We're in a party."
"So experience gets divided."
"It does?"
She nodded.
"If I defeated it alone, I'd receive forty."
"But parties split experience evenly."
"Twenty each?"
"Exactly."
She smiled.
"The trade-off is that monsters die much faster."
Aster understood immediately.
"So solo players level quicker..."
"...but parties are safer."
"That's why most beginners form teams."
"It reduces the chance of getting overwhelmed."
Aster silently approved of the system.
It rewarded both efficiency and cooperation.
For the next several hours...
The two continued hunting throughout Greenwood Expanse.
Horned Rabbits.
Moss Wolves.
Occasionally even Forest Boars.
Each battle taught Aster something new.
Iron Body Foundation allowed him to maintain his balance even after repeated swings.
His breathing remained steady.
His stamina lasted longer than expected.
Meanwhile, Cole's experience fighting with a sword complemented his cautious approach.
Whenever she attacked too aggressively, Aster naturally covered the opening.
Whenever Aster hesitated, Cole confidently pushed forward.
Without realizing it...
They had begun fighting like genuine teammates.
As monster after monster fell, system notifications gradually accumulated.
Level Up!
Level 2 → Level 3
Aster opened his status briefly.
His experience bar had reset.
A new requirement appeared beneath it.
Current Level: 3
EXP: 0 / 400
He frowned.
"...The required experience increased."
Cole nodded while wiping dirt from her sleeves.
"It always does."
"Level One required one hundred."
"Level Two required two hundred."
"Level Three requires four hundred."
"So it doubles?"
"For the early game."
"My brother said the growth slows later."
Aster quietly calculated.
"So reaching higher levels won't just depend on stronger monsters..."
"It'll depend on much larger amounts of experience."
"Exactly."
The afternoon slowly drifted into evening.
Sunlight filtered through the trees in long golden beams.
The two defeated another Forest Boar together.
A brilliant light surrounded both of them.
Level Up!
Level 3 → Level 4
Warm energy flowed throughout Aster's body once again.
He immediately checked his status.
Character Status
Name: Aster
Level: 4
Health: 160 / 160
Mana: 80 / 80
Attributes
Strength: 11
Agility: 11
Vitality: 13
Intelligence: 8
Spirit: 8
Next Level
EXP: 0 / 800
"...Eight hundred already."
Aster couldn't help smiling.
"The requirements really are doubling."
Cole laughed.
"Wait until Level Five."
"I heard it's even worse."
Aster sheathed his sword.
His temporary copy of Swift Slash had long since disappeared, forcing him to rely on the movements he had memorized and the stable foundation granted by Iron Body Foundation.
Although he could no longer activate the skill itself...
The experience of wielding it remained in his mind.
Not enough to recreate it.
But enough to improve his ordinary swordsmanship.
The sun had nearly touched the horizon.
Aster glanced at the system clock.
Time Spent in Divine Nexus
18 Hours
Estimated Time Outside
9 Hours
"So it's already been eighteen hours..."
Which meant only nine hours had passed in the real world.
Elena would likely be visiting his hospital room soon.
He couldn't keep her worrying.
Aster looked toward the distant outline of Mistvale.
"I think..."
"...I'll head back."
Cole tilted her head.
"Already?"
"I promised someone I'd come back."
His smile carried a quiet warmth.
"And besides..."
He looked toward the village walls standing proudly against the evening sky.
"I've learned enough for one day."
Level Four.
One permanent Uncommon skill.
A hidden quest.
A mysterious destination named Skyrend Peak.
And a glimpse of the limitless road the Primal Codex had opened before him.
Tomorrow...
He would continue walking that road.
But for now...
It was time for Aster to return to Mistvale—and, for the first time since entering Divine Nexus, log out of the world that no longer felt like a mere game.