Jisha departed the secure room to find the auction house still thronged with players. Tensions ran high, but with Sentinels overlooking the crowd, no one dared to make physical moves. As she swam through the mob, a familiar distressed face passed her by.

She smiled at him, and before he could retaliate, she slipped away.

*Yeah... Luden's not having a great time...*

It was the face of a gambler who'd lost everything.

Whether he'd attempt to enact vengeance remained to be seen. It was common knowledge what someone backed into a corner would do, so the possibility wasn't small. They'd have their work cut out for them, however - trailing a player with the best stealth item in the game was no trivial feat.

There was no point worrying about it right now.

She took the staircase leading to the exit of the auction house to reconvene with her posse. However, one player was absent.

"Where's Dharr?" Jisha asked. 

"He... ran off," Brookie replied. 

"How come?"

"Embarrassment," Brookie said as he shook his head.

"Well, I'm not surprised..."

*He's been humiliated too many times tonight. It would've been stranger if he'd opted to stay...*

"And... Castle. Do you have anything to say?" Jisha asked.

The young boy's body language was all too obvious - his fidgeting betrayed his anxiety.

"Yeah, well... I didn't get anything from this??? Where's my stuff?" 

"I didn't get anythin', either," Brookie chimed. 

A valid complaint. They'd helped her only to receive nothing in return...

"I don't have anything good for you two right now, but mark my words. I'll find something for both of you - and the both of you too - tomorrow. I repay my debts manyfold."

Brookie, Castle, the fire and ice sisters, and the random guild leaders had sacrificed most of their cash for today's spectacle. It was the least she could do.

"Well, don't worry about me," Hearth Ember said, "I was only looking for 1 heat shard but you gave me two, so I'd say we're even."

"Ember, you selfless girl... I can't let you say that. It'd be a weight on my conscience if anything."

"But-"

"No buts. If you still feel indebted to me, how about you both join my guild?"

"Um..." Hearth Ember trailed off as she looked over to her sister. 

"Eh? Party with Emmi and Big Sis Sol? Yes!" Abandoned Snow said while vigorously nodding.

"Perfect!" Jisha said with a smile. "What about you two?"

Hearth Ember was a talented player, and Abandoned Snow's future abilities might even surpass hers. Learning to run in that short of a time... It was nothing short of genius.

Brookie and Castle weren't ordinary, either. Nothing needed to be said about Castle, a future Tier 9 player, but Brookie was different.

Skilled fighters had a certain aura around them. It was difficult to describe with words, but they radiated confidence with every spoken word. They subconsciously drew attention to themselves like a magnetic field, yet at the same time, it felt impossible to get too close.

Objectively, his current capabilities were akin to an ant's ten years into the Mana Age, but they were by far the best she'd seen in this life.

*Really... Where did this guy go in the future?*

"Not gonna lie - I *am* interested," Brookie said. "I'm fascinated by strength, and... for that, you've got my respect. But there are some old monsters in my guild I have yet to surpass." 

*Interesting. Since when did the Northeast have such potent fighters?*

"'Old monsters', you say... And you're loyal simply due to their strength?"

"Of course," Brookie said as he chuckled. "It's why I'm... where I am." 

"If I show you pure strength, will you change your mind?" 

"... Dunno. Those old guys are the best of the best in the Northeast. In terms of raw martial ability, they'd even be able to compete in the top Central leagues." 

"Whatever 'old monsters' you're talking about are nothing compared to me," Jisha said as she nonchalantly waved her hand. "If you're not convinced, just follow me." 

"Can't say I'm not interested," Brookie replied. 

"Well you- You still owe me money, so..." Castle hesitantly said. 

"Then it's decided, no?"

"Ah, well," Hearth Ember said, "Me and Frei were planning on meeting up with some more friends, and we're already late. The auction was fun though!" 

"Hm? Well that's fine. I'll send you an invitation once I make the guild, alright?" 

"Sounds good to me."

"Bye-bye Sister!"

With that, the ice and fire disappeared.

"Alright you two, let's go," Jisha said as she led the way outside.

After exchanging a nonplussed glance with each other, Brookie and Castle tagged along behind. 

 

---

 

"..." 

"..." 

"Well?"

It was the two guys' first time laying their eyes on the Fixed Field, so they both stood speechless at its splendor. 

The allure of the purple fog and the intricacies of the black metal gates entranced them. 

"Where are we?" Castle asked. 

All they'd done was walk through the forest. He'd definitely been around here before... How could he have missed such a spectacle?

"Somewhere we can fight fairly. Take a look at this," Jisha said as she explained the ins and outs of the Fixed Field. 

"So that's how it is..." Brookie mused. 

"How about it?" 

"Haha, sure. Let's start."

The inky gates menacingly creaked open as Jisha finished applying the settings.

"I think I'm just gonna watch..." Castle said.

"Suit yourself."

The two of them passed through the entrance, and the system recognized both of them as combatants.

The countdown began.

 

*>5...* 

*>4...* 

*>3...* 

*>2...*

*>1...* 

*>System message: Fixed Field, start!* 

 

*Let's see what this guy's made of.* 

 

---

 

Brooks Severin was a lifelong fan of martial arts. However, the Northeast region of Etmos wasn't exactly ideal for this passion. 

Being in the top 3 technologically advanced regions, as well as the extreme cold weather, greatly decreased their need for hand-to-hand combat. As deadly weapons following the Intelligence Age and the Truth Casualty Age were banned, conflict was relegated to remotely-operated weapons such as drones and mechs.

Remote mech piloting was similar to martial arts, but at the end of the day, you weren't piloting your own body. It paled in comparison to the real thing. Putting your safety at risk was a far more thrilling experience.

However, most of his countrymen disagreed. With the Northeast lacking motivation in martial arts, strong sparring partners were few and far between. Most of his time was better spent watching and studying the Central Leagues, the most prestigious martial arts circuit in the world. 

He longed to travel, but alas, was isolated here with 300 million others. This continental region was practically its own planet as it sat roughly 35,000 kilometron from the nearest foreign territory. Aberrant weather swirling violently in the nearby oceans discouraged travel as well. Trips to and from the Northeast only became safe relatively recently, but they were still expensive.

He made money the only way he knew how - fighting in the Northeast's martial arts leagues. Though martial arts weren't popular, there were still some people who were interested enough to keep the leagues running. He resolved himself to dominate every one of these small-scale leagues before heading to the Central Continent. If he couldn't even do that much, there was no point in pursuing this career.

So, Brooks toured his world, and, like he sought to do, dominated one league after another.

Before long, he'd done it. He was confidently the top-ranked fighter in the Northeast. It was time to pursue greener pastures. However, before he could do so, he received an offer from an unknown source. As the top fighter in the region, it wasn't surprising for him to receive offers. But, as they'd only offer monetary rewards, Brooks never cared much for them. At this point, he had more than enough money to travel comfortably, and he didn't desire much else.

So, he was expecting to brush it off like so many he'd done in the past, but this message only had two words.

"Let's fight."

Of course, many lunatics had futilely challenged him in the past, but he could feel that something about this one was different. Perhaps it was his intuition as a top-level fighter telling him that accepting this trial wouldn't be a waste of time.

So, he rendezvoused with this mysterious person... in a public place, of course. As strong as he was, Brooks was only a single human. It wouldn't be difficult for him to get overwhelmed by numbers and superior weaponry.

The two sparred in a nearby gym, and Brooks found the situation strange. The man in front of him could easily rank top 10 in the region, yet Brooks did not recognize him. Being the top fighter came with connections; he knew pretty much everyone in the Northeast who fought at a high level. So how did this man slip under the radar?

But then came the more surprising news. This mystery man claimed he came from a place that had fighters of an older generation that made him look like a white belt - a beginner.

How could that be?

It was a suspicious claim, but Brooks had already come this far... there was no choice but to see the situation all the way through.

After traveling with the mystery man to a secure location, Brooks was bewildered that he was telling the truth. Apparently, with the combination of cryochambers and a hidden technology called "telomere therapy", the bodies of several legendary fighters of previous generations stood in good condition.

New opponents! Like a kid in a candy shop, his excitement shot through the roof at this prospect.

And they served him what he ordered.

Though the "old monsters'" bodies were past their primes, they still had no trouble dealing with Brooks, the top fighter of the modern day...

The Central continent would have to wait. Training here would be beyond invaluable.

Today, however, a random girl showed up in front of him and claimed the "old monsters" were nothing...? Even though he saw her defeat seven players on her own, this had to be a delusional claim. She was simply a large frog in a small well.

Brooks had even changed his last name to enter that reclusive society. His pride was on the line.

But the miniscule chance that she knew what she was talking about gnawed at him. What was the truth? There was only one way to find out.

 

*>System message: Fixed Field, start!*  

 

The two of them started in a clearing in the cemetery. From Fae Sol's previous battle footage, it was clear she knew her way around the map. However, this wasn't an issue. As long as they remained in the clearing, the advantage of map knowledge was irrelevant.

Once the countdown hit 0, neither player moved rashly. Slowly... slowly... they crept towards each other.

Observing. Gathering information.

Small movements. Searching for an opening.

Finding a time to strike!

This was the mark of a skilled player. Those who mindlessly charged in with no game plan were unlikely to get far.

The two stopped moving once they were 5 metron away from each other.

In front of him was a much smaller girl called Fae Sol... who appeared in a relaxed stance. Someone standing like that... There should be openings, right?

But the more Brookie watched, the more tense he became.

There were countless openings, yet at the same time, there were none.

"..."

What was going on? It didn't make sense. All she was doing was standing there, yet his nerves were on a razor sharp edge. Had he ever felt anything like this before? In the past, no matter how tough his adversary was, he could always formulate a plan of attack after some amount of study. Every fighter had their own personal tendencies, and sometimes these tendencies worked against them. It was up to the opponent to exploit these weaknesses.

However, now, as he calculated his moves against this opponent, he lost himself in an endless maze.

He gritted his teeth. There was no point thinking about it any further.

The blue-green eyes staring back at him were almost enchanting. Almost as if they were beckoning him to come forth.

And so Brookie met them head on.

He lunged. And before she could make a move, he kicked the topsoil in front of him. Quite literally a *dirty* trick, but for victory, didn't the ends justify the means?

Those eyes were the weakest points, and his attack pinpointed them in an unconventional manner.

But wait...

Too late did Brookie realize this wasn't real life - it was only a game! Would the old "sand in the eyes" trick work here?

The answer was...

No!

Fae Sol didn't even flinch.

"!!!"

The split second after he realized he'd messed up, he faltered.

*-3*

In this level 0 fight, each player only had 10 HP. One strike from Fae Sol reduced his HP by nearly a third.

That was just bad luck. He could alter the course of the battle over the course of the next few moves.

*-2*

However, the first hit led him by the nose to the second...

*-5*

... which culminated in the third.

Brookie's in-game body dissipated into white mist as his spirit floated about the cemetery.

Dead?

Just like that?

He respawned outside the gates and stared forwards, dumbstruck.

The fight ended way too quickly. He'd made a terrible mistake... it was just bad luck.

"Again."

In the next fight, he'd surely be more careful.

...

 

*>System message: Fixed Field, start!* 

 

...

*-2*

*-3*

*-5*

...

The second fight was only slightly longer than the first, but the result was the same.

Brookie respawned outside after dying in merely three moves, and he couldn't land anything in return.

Clearly, the problem was the "attack speed". In real life, he could make as many moves as his body would physically let him. However, in the game at level 0, he could only attack once per second. He wasn't used to this - it was obviously the reason he lost this time.

"Again..."

...

*-1*

*-4*

*-5*

...

A nearly identical result. What went wrong this time? Obviously, it was the purple fog. He'd never seen purple fog before, so this was clearly the problem.

"Again!"

...

*-2*

*-4*

*-4*

...

A glint of moonlight messed with his vision. Why was the moon out during this time of day? Next time, he'd surely account for this variable!

"Again!"

...

Loss. What was the problem this time? Surely there was something to blame, right? Surely she couldn't be telling the truth about what she thought of those "old monsters"... These wins had to have been lucky.

"Again."

...

More losses.

"Again..."

...

Brookie finally quit deluding himself. The wins were far from lucky.

But it didn't make sense. A random girl in front of him was the top fighter on the continent. How was this possible?

"Another one!"

...

The more he sparred with her, the more he realized the difference between them.

He quickly recapped the previous matches in his mind. The result of all of them was almost the same.

The first two moves were light in comparison, and the third hit always targeted a vital area, rendering the attack fatal.

No matter what he tried, the first two moves always led to a checkmate in the third.

He tried everything.

Attack.

Retreat.

Defend.

Misdirect.

Nothing worked.

Of course, he could delay the beginning of the game. But once it started...

One, two, checkmate.

One, two, checkmate.

The endless maze of possibilities converged on a single point. The game was over the moment it started.

...

"... I give up."

After over twenty bouts, Brookie finally threw in the towel.

"You're annoyingly persistent," Fae Sol said as she materialized in front of the cemetery gates. The Fixed Field was over. "I wager you're rather skilled."

"... What?"

Brooks Severin, whose name had now changed to Lacaia, was the top fighter recognized by Northeastern leagues. Yet this top fighter was only "rather skilled"?

Who is this person?

"You... have to be a top Central fighter undercover."

It was the only possibility. Even the "old monsters" he sparred with in the real world didn't pressure him this hard. Of course he would usually lose to them, but he could see himself overcoming them some day.

However, here...

The farther he looked, the larger the crevasse between the two appeared. No amount of training in the near future could lead to a victory over her.

It was extremely strange for a Centralite who endured eternal summer to move to a frozen wasteland, but there was no other possibility. It also explained her unfamiliarity with Brookie's Northeastern identity.

"I suppose that's a good guess," Fae Sol said as she cryptically smiled.

Brookie sighed and looked towards the sky. The purple haze that drifted through the light breeze. The moon appeared to swim behind the clouds.

"I have a long road ahead of me..."

"Would you like to travel that road with me?" Fae Sol unexpectedly asked. "I'd like you to join my guild once the first update hits."

It was a surprising question, but it made sense. Brookie craved strength, and it was right in front of him. Fae Sol was likely a Centralite immigrant, and securing ties with a strong fighter of the Northeast was only natural. Plus, as a local, he might be able to offer some useful information.

It was an extremely tantalizing offer, but...

"... Not yet. One day... when I'm qualified."

"Hmm? What's holding you back?"

Brookie's future path had been altered. Once he overcame all the challenges of the Northeast, he would move to the Central continent. However, one more alluring "Northeastern" challenge appeared in front of him.

And so he explained his plan to the girl in front of him.

"I'd like to stay in touch, though," he said. "Don't unfriend me."

"Of course," Fae Sol replied with a twinkle in her eyes. "I won't let you get away that easily."

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."

Brookie only then remembered that a young boy named Castle had been spectating the whole time. Was it due to shock? He hadn't made a peep until now.

"Come along, young one," Fae Sol said as she gave him an exaggeratedly friendly pat on the shoulder. "Let's head back to town. I've still got lots to do out there."

And such was Brooks Lacaia's first true glimpse of this enigmatic young woman.

 

---

 

"Mana palm strike..!" 

... 

*>+8 Copper* 

"That's the last of them in this area, right?" 

"Yes, let's continue." 

A party of five made their way through the dense thickets. As beta players, they knew there were some sort of ruins in this area. 

"Let's hope no one else got here before us." 

"It's unlikely. We booked it straight here." 

"Mana palm strike..!" 

Despite the fact they'd already cleared the area, a small blue streak flashed forwards. 

"Commander, what...?" 

Everyone was confused as to what their commander, Stein, was up to. For a while now, he would just use his Battle Mage ability, "Mana Palm Strike", whenever it came off cooldown. It wasn't long before he ran out of mana, but he spent all of his money on mana potions only to repeat this cycle. 

"It's nothing, Yana," Stein replied. 

The player next to him called "Quaterniana" looked at him in confusion. 

"Are you sure...?" 

"..." 

Stein sighed. 

"Yeah, you're right... It's not 'nothing'. It's just..." Stein trailed off again. 

His subordinates looked at him in eagerness since he was about to continue. 

"You've seen the battle footage sent to us by First Son. That player... 'Fae Sol', used abilities in a way nobody has before." 

"Yes, this Fae Sol indeed has exceptional battle prowess," Yana agreed. 

"No, it's not that." 

"Really? Then what...?" 

"Look at this clip one more time." 

Stein and Yana poured over the final segment of the battle footage. 

"See here?" Stein asked. "Auto-attacks like throwing a pellet are aided by the system, but hers are different. How do I put this... What happens when you click in an old-fashioned computer game?" 

"Er, there are many possibilities." 

"Yes, but there's only one type of click. You can click multiple times or click for longer, but each individual click is its own entity that cannot be changed. But the way these pellets almost seem to curve through the air... It's as if the 'click' itself is different. So..." 

*Whoosh* 

Another Mana Palm Strike flew through the air. 

"Tch, it's no good..." 

"What is exactly being tried here?" Yana asked. 

"It's definitely possible to change the fundamental way you attack with a skill or spell. It's not necessarily a one-click cast, and that video is proof. I'm trying to accomplish something similar." 

"..." 

"Look here, Yana," Stein said as he threw a Mana Palm Strike. "I can control where and when I release the attack, but after that, the system takes over and I lose control over it. It always flies in a straight line at the same speed. But... it should be possible to change that." 

*Whoosh* 

"I wonder what I'm doing wrong..." 

"A suggestion from me: perhaps the money earned by you should be spent in something other than mana potions..." Yana said as she shook her head. 

"Perhaps. But I'll have to decline that suggestion." 

"..." 

"Yana, I know what you're thinking. That this is useless... a waste of money and mana potions. Am I correct?" 

"Er, no, sir... I..." 

"It's fine. If I hadn't witnessed Fae Sol's capabilities today, I would agree with you. But in the long run, once I learn how to do this... Basically, true skill is worth much more than weapons or equipment."

"..." 

"*Sigh*, forget it. Everyone, let's-" 

Just as he was about to lead his party forwards, Stein froze momentarily. 

"... Commander?" 

"One second, everyone," he said with a grin. "Our favorite 'War Dog' has faithfully returned some news." 

"And?" 

Everyone looked on expectantly. Their guild, Asunder, had members in quite a few starter Hamlets, and by now, they were spread throughout various Villages... though none of them had reached Towns quite yet. 

"War Dog" Brooks was the most capable of these players - his martial arts capability outside the game was at the peak of the public world, so he was naturally entrusted with a role in Synergy himself. 

"It looks like we've got ourselves a destination," Stein said. 

This was indeed good news. Until now, it wasn't that they were wandering aimlessly, but they had the option between several Towns to proceed to. The ruins they were trying to find was almost equidistant from all of them, leaving it as a nice detour. 

"After this, we're headed to Orchid Town. Looks like *she* is headed there as well." 

Everyone understood - Fae Sol was likely the largest threat to Asunder thus far, so investigating and potentially suppressing her development would lead to the best results. 

But for now... 

Rotten wooden structures loomed ominously in a small clearing. The treetops towered over them at a height of almost 100 metron, and the leaves blocked much of the sunlight making the buildings look even more harrowing. 

"Let's clear this dungeon first. Once we get that item, we should have an upper hand in the next battle no matter what foe we're up against!" 

""Yes, sir!""