The endless plains stretched beneath a pale morning sky, waves of tall grass swaying gently under the wind. From a distance, the landscape appeared peaceful, almost serene.
That illusion vanished the moment anyone looked closer.
Massive creatures roamed the field in scattered herds. Each one was nearly the size of a small vehicle, its bulky body covered in silver-gray fibers that resembled a strange combination of moss and stone. Jagged ridges protruded from their backs like miniature mountain ranges, while two enormous granite slabs extended from either side of their heads where horns should have been.
The creatures were known as Yakoliths.
Slow-moving.
Durable.
And notoriously annoying to farm.
Rio narrowed her eyes as she observed the nearest herd.
"There."
Ryota followed her gaze and immediately spotted the creatures lumbering across the field.
He adjusted his grip on his sword and let out a small sigh.
"I still can't get used to those things."
Rio didn't look away from the herd.
"To what?"
"The fact they're basically yaks made of rocks."
"They're classified as earth-type beasts."
"That doesn't make it less weird."
Rio ignored him.
Instead, she stepped forward and drew the Crimson Bloodmoon.
The saber gleamed beneath the sunlight, its silver blade reflecting a faint crimson glow as mana flowed through it. Ever since acquiring the Mythic weapon, she had become increasingly accustomed to the sensation of the blade responding to her thoughts.
The weapon felt alive.
Not sentient.
But aware.
As if it understood what she wanted before she moved.
Crimson energy began gathering along the edge of the blade.
The surrounding air grew noticeably heavier.
Ryota immediately recognized the skill activation and took several steps backward.
"Stay back," Rio said.
"Already doing it."
The moment she swung her blade, crimson energy erupted outward.
[Sword Skill: Moonlight Melody]
A crescent-shaped wave of blood-red energy tore across the field.
The attack traveled with incredible speed, carving through the air with a sharp humming resonance.
The Yakoliths barely had time to react.
The shockwave sliced through the center of the herd before exploding beyond them in a burst of crimson light.
For a brief moment, nothing happened.
Then the enormous creatures collapsed one after another.
Their stone-like bodies split apart before dissolving into particles of light.
The ground trembled from their combined weight.
Rio lowered her weapon.
"Next."
Three hours later, the field looked like a battlefield.
Broken fragments of defeated Yakoliths littered the grass while countless drops filled Rio's inventory. The once peaceful hunting zone had been transformed into a graveyard of stone beasts.
Rio stood in the middle of the destruction, staring silently at a small glowing fragment resting in her palm.
"Four."
Ryota blinked.
"Four what?"
She held up the item.
Yak Ore.
A rare crafting material.
The entire reason they had been farming here.
"Four ores."
Her expression darkened.
"After three hours."
Ryota scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Yeah..."
He glanced at the fragment.
"The drop rate's kinda terrible."
"Terrible?"
Rio repeated.
"That's being generous."
She closed her hand around the ore.
"I need twenty."
Ryota stared.
"Then we're going to be here forever."
Rio didn't disagree.
Another Yakolith wandered into range.
Without hesitation, she activated Moonlight Melody again.
The crimson shockwave erupted across the field.
The creature collapsed instantly.
A familiar notification appeared.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
Inventory Full
Rio froze.
Several seconds passed.
Then she slowly looked at the message again.
"...What?"
Ryota immediately knew something was wrong.
"Uh..."
Rio opened her inventory.
Every slot was occupied.
Monster materials.
Crafting items.
Potions.
Equipment drops.
Everything they had collected over the past several hours.
There wasn't a single empty space remaining.
Her eye twitched.
"I refuse."
Ryota blinked.
"What?"
"I refuse to throw anything away."
"Most of that stuff is junk."
"It is not junk."
"It literally says Common Quality."
"It still has value."
Ryota sighed.
"What about buying inventory expansion?"
"No."
"It costs three copper."
"No."
"Why?"
Rio crossed her arms.
"Because in a few weeks there's an event that gives expanded inventory space for free."
Ryota stared.
"...Seriously?"
"Yes."
"And you know that?"
"Yes."
"And after that?"
"A system update introduces storage bags."
Ryota rubbed his face.
"Your future knowledge is terrifying."
Rio opened her mouth to respond.
Then suddenly stopped.
Something occurred to her.
A dangerous idea.
One she immediately disliked.
"No."
She began pacing.
"Absolutely not."
Ryota frowned.
"What?"
"No."
She continued pacing.
"It solves the problem..."
Another step.
"But he'll never let me forget it."
Ryota blinked.
"Rio?"
She kept walking.
Muttering to herself.
Debating internally.
Arguing with her own logic.
Finally, she stopped.
Turned around.
And looked directly at him.
Her face was slightly red.
A bad sign.
"Ryota."
"Why do I suddenly feel nervous?"
Without answering, she opened her system menu.
Several quick inputs later, a notification appeared in front of him.
[Player: Rio has requested a Marriage Bond]
Silence.
Ryota stared.
Then looked at Rio.
Then looked back at the notification.
Then looked at Rio again.
"...What?"
Rio immediately looked away.
"It's not what it looks like."
"You're proposing."
"No."
"The screen says Marriage Bond."
"It is for inventory space."
Ryota blinked.
"...What?"
Rio crossed her arms tighter.
"Married players receive fifty percent additional inventory space."
She spoke rapidly, clearly wanting the explanation over with.
"We gain access to shared storage."
"We can transfer items instantly."
"We receive one hundred additional inventory slots."
A pause.
Then she added quietly,
"It is the most efficient solution."
Ryota stared for several seconds.
"So..."
He pointed at the screen.
"You're proposing to me for inventory management."
"YES."
The answer came instantly.
Then she froze.
"...No."
A deep breath.
"You know what I mean."
Ryota laughed.
Rio looked moments away from drawing her sword.
Eventually, he clicked accept.
The system immediately responded.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
Marriage Bond Established
Congratulations!
You are now bonded with Player: Ryota
Rio deleted the notification so quickly it was almost impressive.
"Thank you, inventory slots."
Ryota couldn't stop laughing.
Then the sky flashed.
Both of them looked up.
A powerful chime echoed across Evermount.
[GLOBAL ANNOUNCEMENT]
The first players have formed a Marriage Bond.
Hidden Dungeon Unlocked: Love Fest
The world froze.
Rio froze.
Ryota froze.
The wind itself seemed to stop.
Several seconds passed.
Then Rio slowly covered her face.
"...You've got to be kidding me."
Ryota looked at her.
A grin spread across his face.
"So..."
He pointed at the announcement.
"Married, huh?"
Rio's response echoed across the entire field.
"IT IS FOR THE INVENTORY!"
Somewhere nearby, a Yakolith slowly lifted its head and stared in their direction before returning to grazing.
The monster clearly had no opinion on the matter.
Unfortunately for Rio, the rest of Evermount certainly would.