The village was peaceful in a way that felt almost unnatural after everything they had experienced.
It wasn't completely silent. Wooden tables creaked softly beneath plates and mugs, NPC villagers moved about their daily routines, and somewhere nearby a large pot simmered over an open fire. The scent of broth, herbs, and freshly baked bread drifted through the air, creating a warmth that contrasted sharply with the chaos consuming the rest of Evermount.
For the first time since the global announcement, things felt normal.
Rio sat across from Ryota inside the village tavern, her posture relaxed as she finished the last of her meal. Her hand rested lightly on the wooden table while she quietly enjoyed the rare moment of calm.
Across from her, Ryota leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath.
"Man..."
He glanced around the tavern before shaking his head.
"Feels weird."
Rio didn't immediately look up from her plate.
"What does?"
"Everything."
Ryota rested his elbow on the table.
"We got hunted through a forest, negotiated with a guild, fought a player assassin, and somehow made friends with her afterward."
He laughed softly.
"And now we're just sitting here eating dinner like nothing happened."
Rio swallowed before answering.
"That's how it should be."
Ryota blinked.
"Huh?"
Rio finally raised her eyes to meet his.
"If you let every encounter affect you..."
She paused briefly.
"...you fall behind."
Ryota fell silent.
The answer sounded simple, but there was a certain weight behind it. Rio spoke from experience. Every action she took was focused on moving forward. Dwelling on past battles accomplished nothing.
After a few moments, Ryota leaned forward.
"Hey."
Rio looked at him.
"What?"
"Why didn't you use it?"
A slight pause.
"Use what?"
"Chronos Eye."
That immediately caught her attention.
Ryota pointed toward the saber resting beside her chair.
"Or your mythic weapon. Crimson Bloodmoon."
His gaze shifted to the Imperial Saber she had been carrying all day.
"You fought Sayanaki using a beginner weapon."
Rio stared at him for several seconds before finally sighing.
"Dummy."
Ryota immediately sat upright.
"Hey! I didn't do anything!"
Rio rubbed her temple.
"In combat, especially against someone like Sayanaki..."
Her tone became more analytical.
"...the person who knows more usually wins."
Ryota nodded slowly.
"So that's why..."
Rio tapped her finger lightly against the table.
"I relied on experience."
Another tap.
"Not skills."
A third tap.
"Not equipment."
Her gaze drifted toward the tavern window.
"Just fundamentals."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Rio added quietly,
"Besides, other than you already knowing..."
Her voice lowered slightly.
"I'd rather keep my trump cards hidden."
She folded her arms.
"Until the last possible moment."
Ryota leaned back again.
"So you're basically fighting blind?"
Rio shook her head.
"No."
A faint sharpness entered her eyes.
"I'm making them blind."
The answer sent a small chill down Ryota's spine.
He let out a low whistle.
"That's actually scary."
Rio ignored the comment.
Instead, she continued her analysis.
"Sayanaki didn't reveal everything either."
Ryota frowned.
"You think she was holding back?"
Rio nodded.
"Absolutely."
She rested her chin lightly against her hand.
"She showed clones. Positioning. Deception."
A brief pause followed.
"But not everything."
Her gaze lowered.
"She still has skills she didn't use."
Ryota looked surprised.
"You're sure?"
Rio nodded.
"Players like her don't reveal their full hand during a first encounter."
She looked directly at him.
"Just like me."
A small smirk appeared.
"Right now she probably thinks I'm a one-handed saber user."
Ryota blinked.
"But you're not."
"Not even close."
The smirk widened slightly.
"She doesn't know about my musket-sword style."
A pause.
"Or Chronos Eye."
Her finger tapped the table once.
"That's enough."
Ryota leaned forward.
"So if you fight again—"
"There won't be another fight like that."
Rio cut him off immediately.
"If we meet again, it won't be a test."
The certainty in her voice ended the discussion.
After another moment, she stood from her chair.
The wooden seat scraped softly against the floor.
"I'm done."
Ryota looked at her in surprise.
"Already?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
Stretching lightly, she rolled one shoulder before turning toward him.
"Shall we go?"
Ryota stood as well.
"Go where?"
For the first time all evening, a faint grin appeared on Rio's face.
"Back to the Yakolith Field."
Ryota froze.
"You're serious?"
"Yes."
Her answer came instantly.
"I still need sixteen more ores."
A brief pause followed.
"And the drop rate is still terrible."
Ryota stared at her before bursting into laughter.
"Yeah."
He grabbed his equipment and followed her.
"Let's go."
By the time they reached the Yakolith plains, the sun had begun its slow descent toward the horizon.
The endless grasslands stretched beneath a sky painted gold and amber. Long shadows rolled across the fields while the wind brushed through the tall grass in gentle waves.
At the center of the field, another Yakolith collapsed.
The massive boar-like creature, covered in thick earth-colored armor plates, cracked apart under Rio's blade. Its body dissolved into blue particles before disappearing completely.
Rio didn't celebrate.
Didn't smile.
Didn't even react.
Instead, her attention immediately shifted to the loot window.
Common Hide.
Yakolith Tusk.
Yakolith Meat.
No ore.
She closed the window.
"Again."
Her voice sounded completely empty.
Nearby, Ryota brought his sword crashing down on another Yakolith.
The monster collapsed.
"Man, these things are tanky."
Rio didn't respond.
She had already moved on to another target.
Another fight.
Another kill.
Another loot window.
Nothing.
Hours passed.
The sky slowly transformed from gold to orange, then from orange to deep violet as evening approached.
The air grew colder.
The wind became sharper.
Still, Rio continued.
Her attacks remained flawless.
A brief activation of Chronos Eye allowed her to predict movements before they happened.
Her saber pierced weak points hidden beneath thick armor.
Every strike was calculated.
Every movement efficient.
Every kill clean.
And yet the results remained disappointing.
"How many now?"
Ryota finally asked.
Rio opened her inventory.
She counted silently.
Then answered.
"Six."
Ryota blinked.
"Six?"
She nodded.
"I started with four."
A pause.
"I found two more."
Another pause.
"In five hours."
The wind passed between them.
Ryota scratched his cheek.
"That's rough."
Rio didn't answer.
She simply cut down another Yakolith.
This time her movements carried a slight edge.
Not anger.
Not impatience.
Frustration.
Another kill.
Another loot window.
Nothing.
Rio stopped moving.
Only for a second.
Her grip tightened around the saber.
"Two percent."
She muttered quietly.
"Two percent."
Ryota glanced over.
"You okay?"
Rio ignored the question.
Instead, she walked toward another Yakolith.
The creature charged.
She struck once.
Chronos Eye slowed its reaction.
Her second strike followed immediately.
The monster died.
The loot window appeared.
Nothing.
Again.
"I see."
Her voice was far too calm.
Ryota frowned.
"You see what?"
Rio closed the window.
"The drop rate isn't the problem."
A pause.
"The problem is consistency."
Ryota looked confused.
"Isn't that the same thing?"
"No."
Rio gestured toward the field.
"A two percent drop rate means randomness."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Randomness means no control."
A brief silence followed.
Then she finished.
"And I hate things I can't control."
At that moment another Yakolith charged toward them.
Ryota intercepted it.
The impact cracked the earth beneath his feet, but he held his ground.
"Got it."
His sword swung.
The Yakolith collapsed.
Loot scattered across the ground.
Rio didn't even check it.
Several more minutes passed.
Then she finally stopped.
"We're done."
Ryota blinked.
"Huh?"
"This is inefficient."
Rio opened her inventory.
"Six ores in nine hours."
She frowned.
"At this rate I'd need over twenty hours."
Ryota winced.
"Yeah... that's bad."
"Unacceptable."
Rio began scrolling through her inventory.
Materials.
Monster drops.
Crafting supplies.
Junk.
Then suddenly—
She stopped.
Her eyes locked onto the shared inventory.
She didn't blink.
Didn't move.
Didn't react.
Just stared.
"Ryota."
Her voice was quiet.
Too quiet.
Ryota looked over.
"Yeah?"
Rio continued staring at the screen.
"How long have you been farming Yakoliths with me?"
He scratched his head.
"The whole time?"
Silence.
"I see."
A pause.
Then—
"I see."
Ryota frowned.
"What?"
Very slowly, Rio turned her head toward him.
Her expression was completely blank.
"Why..."
A dangerous pause followed.
"...do you have one hundred and seventy-seven Yakolith Ores?"
Silence.
The world seemed to stop.
Ryota blinked.
"Oh."
Rio's eye twitched.
"Oh?"
Ryota looked at the inventory.
"Oh yeah, those."
Rio stared.
"Those."
He shrugged.
"They drop a lot."
Something inside Rio finally broke.
"THEY HAVE A TWO PERCENT DROP RATE!"
Her voice exploded across the plains.
Several nearby players immediately turned to look before deciding they wanted absolutely no part of whatever was happening.
"I FARMED FOR NINE HOURS!"
She pointed at the inventory.
"NINE HOURS!"
Another step forward.
"FOR SIX!"
Ryota blinked again.
"Oh."
A long silence followed.
Rio slowly opened the marketplace interface.
She selected Yakolith Ore.
The price appeared.
Yakolith Ore — Sell Price: 1 Copper Coin
Rio stared at the number.
Then at Ryota's inventory.
Then back at the number.
"One hundred and seventy-seven copper..."
She whispered the words as if they weren't real.
Ryota smiled.
"That's good, right?"
Rio looked at him.
Completely expressionless.
"Ryota."
"Yeah?"
"Give me some."
He immediately transferred a large stack without asking questions.
Rio accepted.
Closed the menu.
Took a deep breath.
Then turned around and began walking toward town.
Ryota hurried after her.
"Wait, what about farming?"
Rio didn't even look back.
"We're done."
A pause.
Then she added:
"We already won."
Behind them, the Yakolith plains remained exactly the same as they had always been—endless, stubborn, and unforgiving.
But ahead of them lay the Town of Beginnings.
And for the first time all day, Rio finally had enough Yakolith Ore to finish what she had been working toward.
The grind was over.
Now the real progress could begin.