The cabin became completely silent.
Only the deep mechanical hum of the sand ship engines echoed beneath the floorboards while cold desert wind poured endlessly through the shattered window.
Ramos kept his head lowered.
His tied hands trembled weakly against the wooden floor.
"...Because I didn't have a choice."
Ryota frowned immediately.
"What do you mean?"
Ramos swallowed slowly.
Then finally looked up.
His eyes looked exhausted.
Not like a pirate.
Not like a criminal.
Just...
broken.
"I was originally a rice farmer."
The room remained silent.
Ramos continued quietly.
"My village was located east of Versoza near the border farms."
"We weren't fighters."
"We weren't guards."
"We were just civilians."
His voice became smaller.
"We grew food for the city."
Rio's expression subtly changed.
Ramos lowered his eyes again.
"One day..."
"...players came."
Ryota stiffened slightly.
Sayanaki remained motionless.
"We thought they were adventurers at first."
"They wore guild emblems."
"They carried expensive weapons."
"They looked important."
A bitter laugh escaped Ramos.
"We welcomed them."
His voice cracked slightly.
"Then they started killing people."
Silence.
Ryota's face slowly darkened.
Ramos continued.
"We couldn't fight back."
"None of us were combat NPCs."
"No weapons."
"No skills."
"No combat training."
"The only guards stationed near the village..."
His hands trembled harder.
"...died first."
Rio quietly closed her eyes for a moment.
Ramos continued speaking softly.
"The combat NPCs tried protecting us."
"But the players overwhelmed them immediately."
"They killed them..."
"...then dragged their bodies away."
Ryota looked disturbed.
"...Dragged them away?"
Ramos nodded slowly.
"They sold them."
The cabin went silent again.
"Sold them to mercenary groups."
"Underworld traders."
"Slave caravans."
Ryota froze.
"...You can do that in Evermount?"
Rio answered quietly.
"...Yes."
Her voice sounded colder now.
"The underworld system exists in Floor Two."
"Especially around Versoza."
Ramos slowly nodded.
"After that..."
"We were taken."
"They chained us together."
"Then sold us to someone called..."
His face visibly paled.
"...The Doctor."
The atmosphere inside the cabin changed instantly.
Even Sayanaki's eyes narrowed slightly.
Ryota frowned.
"...The Doctor?"
Ramos nodded weakly.
"I don't know his real name."
"Nobody does."
"He buys NPCs."
"He experiments on them."
"He sells combat modifications."
"He creates mercenary groups."
His breathing became shaky.
"And then..."
"...they forced us onto pirate ships."
Rio's gaze sharpened slightly.
Ramos continued quietly.
"They told us more ships would be arriving toward Versoza."
"More civilians."
"More travelers."
"More people to capture."
Ryota stared at him silently.
"...That's insane."
Ramos laughed weakly.
"That's Floor Two."
The cabin became quiet once more.
Outside—
the desert winds continued roaring endlessly against the ship.
Rio slowly crossed her arms.
Her expression had darkened considerably.
Sayanaki quietly stared at Ramos for several seconds.
Then looked toward Rio.
Neither of them spoke.
But they understood immediately.
This wasn't normal.
Rio slowly nodded once.
That single gesture was enough.
Sayanaki opened her inventory.
A brown hooded cloak materialized in her hands.
She tossed it directly toward Ramos.
"Wear it."
Ramos blinked.
"...Huh?"
Sayanaki leaned back in her chair casually.
"If someone recognizes you as a captured pirate the moment we arrive..."
"...you'll probably get executed."
Ramos immediately grabbed the cloak.
"T-Thank you."
Ryota watched silently.
Then quietly muttered—
"You two are way nicer than you pretend to be."
Rio and Sayanaki both ignored him instantly.
About thirty minutes later—
BWOOOOOOOM—
A massive horn echoed across the desert.
The sand ship slowly began decelerating.
The floorboards vibrated beneath everyone's feet as the giant turbines beneath the hull weakened their output.
Outside the shattered window—
lights began appearing across the horizon.
A city.
Versoza.
Ryota slowly stood beside the window.
"...Whoa..."
The City of Versoza stretched endlessly across the desert beneath the night sky.
Massive sandstone walls surrounded the city.
Gigantic wind towers rotated slowly above the buildings.
Countless lanterns illuminated the streets in golden light.
Sand ships moved around enormous docking platforms near the outer districts while large bridges connected different sections of the city together.
The place looked beautiful.
Ancient.
Massive.
Alive.
And yet—
Rio's eyes narrowed slightly.
"...Something's wrong."
The ship finally docked against the massive harbor platform.
Metal chains locked the vessel into place.
Nearby NPC workers began unloading cargo immediately.
Players started exiting the ship.
The four of them eventually stepped onto the docks.
The warm desert wind immediately hit them.
Ryota looked around in awe.
"...This place is huge."
But Rio remained quiet.
Her eyes scanned the surroundings carefully.
Then she realized it.
The harbor felt...
empty.
Too empty.
There should've been:
merchants shouting
NPC workers moving cargo
travelers rushing between ships
guards patrolling the area
Instead—
the docks felt strangely lifeless.
Rio counted quickly.
Less than forty NPCs.
At an international sand harbor.
That was impossible.
Sayanaki slowly glanced around as well.
"...You noticed too."
Rio nodded subtly.
"Yeah."
Ramos lowered his hood slightly.
His expression became uneasy.
"...This isn't normal."
Ryota looked confused.
"What do you mean?"
Rio answered quietly while walking.
"Versoza's harbor is supposed to be overcrowded."
"There should be hundreds of NPCs here."
"At minimum."
Sayanaki casually placed both hands inside her pockets.
But her eyes had sharpened completely now.
The atmosphere around her changed instantly.
Predatory.
Dangerous.
They continued walking deeper into the city streets.
The sandstone pathways stretched between massive desert buildings illuminated by glowing lantern crystals.
But even here—
the streets felt wrong.
Too few civilians.
Too little noise.
Too quiet.
Then suddenly—
Sayanaki spoke softly.
Without turning around.
"...We're being followed."
Ryota immediately stiffened.
"...What?"
Sayanaki's expression didn't change.
"Four of them."
Her crimson eyes shifted slightly upward.
"Three above."
"One behind."
Rio calmly continued walking beside her.
"...I know."
Ryota blinked.
"You knew?!"
Rio sighed quietly.
"They've been following us since the docks."
Sayanaki smirked faintly.
"Pretty bad stealth honestly."
Ramos visibly panicked beneath the hood.
"T-They're probably from the pirates—"
Sayanaki suddenly grabbed him by the arm.
"Move."
Before Ryota could react—
she abruptly changed direction into a narrow alleyway between two sandstone buildings.
Rio followed instantly.
Ryota hurried after them.
The alley was dark.
Narrow.
Almost completely abandoned.
Then Sayanaki suddenly kicked open a rusted metal cover hidden beneath loose sand.
A sewer entrance.
Ryota stared.
"...Seriously?"
"Get in."
Without hesitation—
Sayanaki grabbed Ramos and jumped directly into the darkness below.
Ramos screamed the entire way down.
"AAAAAAAHHHH—!"
Ryota panicked immediately.
"WAIT FOR ME—"
He jumped after them.
At the exact same moment—
movement appeared above the rooftops.
Black cloaked figures rushed across the buildings rapidly.
Assassins.
One of them landed near the alley entrance—
Only for Rio to calmly raise her musket.
BANG
The gunshot echoed violently through the alley.
The assassin's head exploded backward instantly.
His body collapsed off the rooftop and slammed into the street below.
The remaining assassins immediately froze.
Rio's blue eyes stared toward them coldly.
Then she stepped backward toward the sewer opening.
"Too slow."
She dropped into the darkness below—
just as multiple blades flew through the air toward where she had been standing moments earlier.
The sewer hatch slammed shut above them.
And the dark tunnels beneath Versoza swallowed the group whole.
The moment Rio dropped into the sewer tunnel—
she immediately turned upward and raised her musket.
BANG
The deafening gunshot echoed violently through the underground tunnels.
The ceiling above the entrance exploded apart.
Chunks of stone and rusted metal collapsed downward instantly.
CRAAAAASH
Dust and debris filled the narrow sewer corridor as the tunnel entrance became completely buried beneath shattered rock.
The sound of distant footsteps above immediately disappeared.
Ryota coughed while waving dust away from his face.
"YOU COULDN'T WARN US FIRST?!"
Rio calmly lowered the smoking musket.
"They would've followed us otherwise."
Sayanaki glanced toward the collapsed entrance once.
Then nodded slightly.
"Good shot."
The sewer tunnels beneath Versoza were cold.
Dark.
Wet.
The narrow stone pathways stretched endlessly beneath the city while filthy water flowed through deep channels below.
Rust-covered pipes lined the walls.
Old lantern crystals flickered weakly overhead.
The entire underground system smelled awful.
Ryota covered his nose immediately.
"...Oh my god."
Ramos quietly lowered his head.
"This is one of the old sewer routes."
Rio looked ahead calmly.
"Then we head east."
Nobody argued.
The group moved carefully through the tunnels.
Their footsteps echoed quietly against the damp stone walls while water dripped continuously from overhead pipes.
Every few minutes—
Sayanaki glanced behind them silently.
Listening.
Watching.
Tracking.
Ryota eventually noticed.
"...You still think they're following us?"
Sayanaki answered immediately.
"They are."
Ramos visibly paled beneath the hood.
Ryota frowned.
"...How can you tell?"
Sayanaki casually pointed upward.
"Sound."
She pointed toward the walls.
"Movement."
Then toward the floor.
"And vibration."
Ryota blinked slowly.
"...That's terrifying."
"Thanks."
After several more minutes—
the tunnel suddenly split apart.
Four separate sewer passages appeared ahead of them.
Each tunnel stretched into darkness.
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
Sayanaki stopped walking.
Her crimson eyes scanned all four paths carefully.
Then she quietly looked toward Rio.
"...You still have mana potions?"
Rio opened her inventory immediately.
Several blue crystal bottles appeared in her hand.
"Yeah."
Sayanaki nodded once.
Then reached toward the silver pendant hanging around her neck.
[Pendant of Imitation]
A faint magical glow spread across the accessory.
Ryota immediately recognized it.
"Oh."
"You're using the clone thing."
Sayanaki smirked slightly.
"Yep."
The pendant glowed brighter.
Then suddenly—
Three identical copies of Sayanaki materialized beside her.
Ryota jumped slightly.
"...THAT IS STILL CREEPY."
The clones looked completely identical.
Same crimson hair.
Same eyes.
Same dagger.
Even the same terrifying smile.
Ramos looked like he wanted to pass out.
The clones casually stretched their arms.
One of them yawned.
Another cracked her neck.
The third immediately looked toward Ramos.
"...Can we stab him?"
"Later," the real Sayanaki answered casually.
Ryota stared in horror.
"...WHY ARE THEY ALL LIKE YOU?"
"Because they're perfect."
Rio quietly tossed a mana potion toward Sayanaki.
Sayanaki caught it immediately.
Then drank the entire thing without hesitation.
A faint blue glow spread briefly across her body as her mana rapidly recovered.
Ryota blinked.
"...Wait."
"You lost that much mana just summoning them?"
Sayanaki nodded.
"Three clones costs almost half my entire mana pool."
Ryota looked horrified.
"...That's insanely expensive."
"Exactly."
She wiped her mouth casually.
"That's why most assassins never use this pendant properly."
Then the three clones suddenly moved.
Each one silently walked toward a different tunnel entrance.
First tunnel.
Third tunnel.
Fourth tunnel.
Sayanaki herself stepped toward the second entrance.
She glanced back once.
"Rio. Follow me."
Rio nodded immediately.
Ryota quickly hurried after them.
"...Wait wait wait."
"Why split up?"
Sayanaki continued walking calmly.
"Because we're dealing with assassins."
Her voice echoed softly through the dark tunnel.
"They specialize in tracking."
Ryota frowned.
"...So?"
Sayanaki smirked slightly without turning around.
"I just made four identical trails."
Realization hit Ryota instantly.
"...Oh."
Rio crossed her arms while walking beside them.
"Even if they realize some are clones..."
"It'll still buy us time."
Sayanaki nodded.
"And force them to separate."
Ryota looked impressed now.
"...That's actually genius."
"Obviously."
The narrow tunnel stretched deeper underground.
The further they walked—
the louder the sound of rushing water became.
Eventually—
the dark passage finally opened into a larger drainage chamber.
Cold water poured violently through large rusted pipes connected along the walls.
Sunlight faintly shined from above.
Rio immediately looked upward.
"...Exit."
Sayanaki nodded once.
A massive drainage pipe extended vertically toward the surface.
Water continuously flowed downward through it from somewhere outside the city.
Ryota stared upward.
"...We're climbing that?"
"Unless you can fly."
"...Fair point."
The climb was exhausting.
The inside of the pipe was slippery from constant water flow while rusted metal bars barely provided enough grip to climb upward safely.
Ryota nearly slipped twice.
Ramos looked terrified the entire way up.
Sayanaki climbed effortlessly.
Rio climbed one-handed while holding her musket.
After several exhausting minutes—
light finally appeared above them.
Then—
CRASH
The metal hatch above burst open.
Fresh air flooded the pipe instantly.
Sayanaki climbed out first.
Then Rio.
Then Ryota dragged Ramos out behind him.
Bright sunlight blinded them momentarily after being underground for so long.
The group slowly stepped away from the drainage pipe.
A quiet river flowed nearby.
Tall dry grass swayed beneath the desert wind.
Small abandoned farming roads stretched across the land.
And far in the distance—
Versoza's giant walls remained visible beyond the dunes.
Ryota slowly looked around.
"...Where are we?"
Ramos froze completely.
His eyes widened.
"...No..."
Rio immediately noticed his expression.
"What is it?"
Ramos slowly stepped forward.
His body visibly trembled.
"...This place..."
He looked toward the distant broken buildings ahead.
"...This is Rasul Village."
Silence.
Ryota frowned slightly.
"...Your village?"
Ramos nodded weakly.
Then slowly began walking forward.
The others followed behind him quietly.
The closer they got—
the worse the atmosphere became.
Broken wooden homes.
Collapsed rooftops.
Burn marks across the walls.
Destroyed rice fields.
Rotting carts abandoned near the roads.
The village looked dead.
No voices.
No people.
No movement.
Only silence.
The wind blew ash across the empty streets.
Ryota slowly stopped walking.
"...What happened here?"
Ramos stared blankly at the destroyed village.
"This..."
His voice shook weakly.
"...This isn't the village I remember."
He slowly walked toward one of the burned homes.
The walls were blackened completely.
The door had been shattered apart violently.
Inside—
everything was destroyed.
Ramos reached toward the burned wood carefully.
His hand trembled.
"...My home..."
Rio quietly scanned the surroundings.
No bodies.
No survivors.
No sounds.
Just destruction.
Sayanaki's eyes narrowed slightly.
"...Someone cleaned this place out."
Ryota looked disturbed.
"...You mean after the attack?"
Rio nodded slowly.
"This wasn't random destruction."
Her gaze sharpened.
"This village was erased."
The desert wind howled softly through the empty streets.
And somewhere deep inside the ruined village—
a metal object clanged quietly against stone.
Sayanaki's eyes instantly shifted toward the sound.
Her hand moved toward Fenrir's Fang.
"...We're not alone."