My eyes burned with anger as I glared at the mage, wishing my gaze alone could strike him down. “You’re playing with fire,” I growled.

He only laughed, and then—of course—let out a fart so loud it echoed through the training grounds. The smell followed immediately, an assault on my senses so intense my eyes watered and my stomach churned.

I nearly smacked him again, but my survival instincts kicked in just in time. Hitting him now would only spread the stink.

Katherine, ever the opportunist, glanced between us, shook her head, and turned toward the training range. Ten steps later, she was in motion, her sword slicing cleanly through a dummy in one fluid move. Before the dummy could even recover its balance, she spun and attacked again, her footwork clumsy, and her strikes noobish. But damn beautiful.

Meanwhile, the farting mage waved his hand and summoned a chair beneath his oversized, stinking backside. “Even if your whip were as strong as your words,” he said, settling in with a satisfied sigh, “I wouldn’t regret helping our princess. It was an honor.”

My attention had been stolen—temporarily!—by Katherine’s stunning display of… her skill. John, stop it. She’s not a lesbian, and you’re Charlie. Focus!

A gentle slap to my cheek brought me back to the conversation, and I redirected my simmering anger at the mage. “Hmpf. Yes, I persuaded the Queen to coronate me.” Okay, maybe I was inflating my accomplishments, but who cared?

Who were they, anyway, to question my title?

A thought struck me like lightning—Wait. These two must be strong. Why else would the Queen trust them? Narrowing my eyes, I demanded, “Are you part of her plan too? Will you fight my army?”

Lily stepped forward, her monumental presence almost overshadowing the mage. “Yes,” she said simply, her voice calm and resolute. “The Queen graced us with her wisdom, and we appreciate your upcoming sacrifices.”

Then, to my shock, she lifted her massive hands and performed a bow so low and formal it could have been ripped from an ancient Asian ceremony. “Your upcoming perils dishearten me,” she continued, her voice filled with solemnity, “but to preserve our path of existence, we are ready to play our part.”

“Stop…” I said, my voice faltering as I raised a hand to halt her. But then I froze, my cheeks heating. “No way…”

I stared at her, slack-jawed. “But—but—her army…” My voice trembled, struggling to piece together the implication of her words.

“We do not desire saving,” Lily said with a serene smile. “We’ll fight. And when the times comes, we will bolster her undead battalion.”

The weight of her words settled heavily in the air. They’re all willing to die. Sacrifice themselves, even.

Why? This was a mindset I never understood. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen it. Men under my command had run toward certain death with smiles on their faces, shouting for their country.

My command? A quest probably, I don’t remember details… Was this… belonging?

There had never been a chance I’d risk my life like that. When enlisted in Africa’s wars, I stayed far from the frontline. I am not a hero, and I don’t want to be.

But these people? They were marching willingly to their deaths.

“Let’s go,” Katherine said, clutching my hand and pulling me out of the barracks.

Her touch, warm and steady, and the way her hair swayed so close to my face, muted any protests I might’ve had. I glanced back at the trainers, a grin creeping onto my lips. Maybe it’s better this way. Less talking with future enemies—no need to give them ammo.

“Sorry. Why are you so nervous?” I asked, letting her lead me. Her firm grip wasn’t helping my focus—if anything, it was deepening my grin. Come on, Charlie, get it together! “We’ve been playing for over half a day. Do you need a break?” I tried to change the subject, proud of myself for even attempting to steer the conversation. Getting the hang of this social stuff!

Katherine suddenly stopped, turning back to me, and I walked right into her.

I barely registered the soft oof of the impact before I realized I was now in her embrace. “No. Third version’s good. I forgot…” she mumbled, her cheeks visibly flushing. She hugged me tighter, almost as if trying to hide her embarrassment.

Was she thinking I didn’t have the same model?

I let her hold me for a moment before whispering, “Don’t worry. I’ve got Mark Three as well. How much time do you have left?”

Her grip loosened, and she pulled back just enough to show me her wide, confused eyes. “Wat?”

“The remaining time before you have to log out,” I clarified. “You know, to take the mandatory six-hour break. Ask the system.”

Turning my attention inward, I called out silently, System, my time?

Katherine furrowed her brow, her gaze fixed on some invisible screen. Then, as if a switch flipped, she gifted me one of her deep, disarming smiles. “A lot. Thanks. Wat now?”

“I’m hungry,” I said, already moving out. “What about you? Let’s eat!”

She sighed but nodded, falling into step beside me. This day wasn’t going the way I’d expected—at all.

Thanks to Katherine’s impatience, I barely got to enjoy the meal. The moment we paid, she practically dragged me out of the inn without so much as a glance back.

Lucas is still offline. Weird.

“Hey, Kit,” I said, trying to sound casual as we walked. “I need to check on a friend. What if we each take a ten-minute break?”

She shrugged, her usual carefree grin lighting up her face. “I’ll edit vids, no prob!” And just like that, she logged off.

I let out a long sigh, watching her avatar fade into nothingness. “Guess it’s break time for me too.” I opened the menu and logged off.

The transition was as annoying as always. The moment I exited my capsule, reality felt heavier, colder, and far less forgiving. That faint disconnect, like I wasn’t quite anchored back in my body, lingered as I lay down next to the capsule, closed my eyes, and tried to center myself.

“Miss Charlie, welcome home,” came the crisp, metallic voice of Tin-Can.

“Good evening-morning. Or… whatever it is,” I mumbled, waving a hand vaguely in the air. Another sigh escaped me, the weight of the day’s frustrations bubbling under the surface. “Tin-can, could you please contact Lucas?”

“Negative, Miss Charlie,” Tin-Can replied smoothly. “I attempted to connect, but all his devices are set to do not disturb mode. He must open the channels first.”

I groaned, rubbing my temples. “Stupid Lucas,” I muttered, rolling onto my side. “I wonder what is he doing? I hope not borrowing another million…”

As the familiar tang of my sweat hit me, I winced. “Ugh. Better than that mage, but still…” I muttered, wrinkling my nose.

Dragging myself up, I shuffled toward the bathroom. The hot water pounded down on me, washing away the grime and, with it, some of the frustration clinging to me. For a moment, the world felt less suffocating.

Fresh and a bit more clear-headed, I returned to the capsule. With a deep breath, I slid back in, ready to reenter Rimelion.

“Level up!” was the first thing I heard when I logged in. Katherine was waiting and dragging me already. “So close!” was her excuse as we now stood at the edge of the village. The dense forest loomed before us, its thick canopy casting a shadow over the dirt path that stretched into the wilderness.

“Sure,” I said, pointing toward the trees. “But we need to go there. You up for it?”

Her smile faltered for a second, and she stood silently, waiting for me to take charge.

“You’re so predictable,” I said, shaking my head with a small grin.

As we left the village, the bustling noise of players faded. Many of them cluttered the path’s sides, shouting the usual nonsense about forming parties. Though we needed a mage, the thought of picking a random one from this lot didn’t sit well with me.

Katherine, less wary of strangers, didn’t share my reluctance. She approached a man sitting on a cheap wooden fence, its frame so thin it seemed a miracle the fence hadn’t already collapsed. The man wore a red, baggy robe and kept his face hidden beneath a ridiculously large hood.

“You mage,” she said simply, her tone matter-of-fact. “Need mage. Wanna party?”

The man tilted his head slightly, observing her in silence. Then, finally, he shrugged. “Yeah, why not? Where are you headed?”

My chance! “It’s far,” I interjected quickly. “You probably don’t want to play that long.” Before Katherine could say anything, I placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her. “We’ll fight along the way, but it’s hours from any village. There’s a hidden dungeon, but it might not even have good loot.”

My disdain was probably written all over my face. Please, just say no and walk away.

“Fine by me,” he said, standing with surprising energy. Dusting off his robe, he pulled back his hood to reveal short blonde hair and sharp features. “Playing with cute girls is always fun.” He grinned as if he’d just handed us a compliment.

“Tramar, at your service! I’ve got fireball and fire floor spells, so I’ve got you covered. I’m level seven.”

“Fine,” I muttered, moving closer to Katherine to vent my irritation. I tried squeezing her arm to calm myself, but her armor only left me with a sore hand. God, my strength is pathetic.

“We can’t take horses,” I added, trying to refocus. “The forest will be too dense to navigate on horseback.”

We trekked through the forest for about an hour before the dense trees and humid air slowed our pace. The thick green canopy above us filtered out most of the sunlight, casting the path in shadow. The only conversation we’d had was introducing ourselves by name. Katherine wasn’t much for talking, and I… I was thinking.

Since when do I think so much?

My upcoming fight with Irwen haunted me, a constant presence in the back of my mind. The stress felt like an invisible weight pressing against my chest. Is this what stress feels like?

When people talked about stress, I never understood. If I had a problem, I avoided it. Simple. But now… Now, there are more problems than drinks.

The NPCs’ willingness to throw their lives away wasn’t my concern. I couldn’t do anything about it, could I? Even with the seal suppressing Irwen’s power, she could probably kill me effortlessly.

I sighed, shaking the thoughts away. Focus on the present.

Our formation was straightforward: Katherine took point, and Tramar and I followed. I hated to admit it, but Tramar’s athletic build rivaled Lucas’s. Despite having just met him, I found my eyes wandering—stupid hormones! The way his biceps stretched his robe was… distracting. I prefer girls!

“Hun, haven’t you mentioned monsters?” Tramar’s voice broke my thoughts. “We’ve seen nothing so far. But now…” He trailed off, looking into the dense trees. “I sense something faint.”

“So what?” I snapped, annoyed at his tone. He wasn’t wrong. The jungle should have been swarming with monsters, but we’d encountered nothing. “It is strange,” I admitted grudgingly.

A low growl reached my ears, sending a chill down my spine.

“Wait,” I said, pausing. “I hear it too.”

Before anyone could respond, the growl transformed into a deafening roar. A powerful gust of wind surged through the forest, clearing the white mist that clung to the ground.

“We’re toast.”