The desert had grown strangely quiet.
Several minutes had passed since Ryota and Fayzan had taken refuge beneath the shade of a large palm tree. The two players sat with their backs against the rough trunk, allowing the broad leaves overhead to shield them from the worst of the afternoon heat.
The desert was unforgiving.
Even after escaping the hidden dungeon, the heat of Floor Two seemed determined to drain whatever strength they had left. Sunlight reflected off the golden sand, creating a shimmering haze that made the distant landscape appear to ripple.
Neither of them paid much attention to it.
Their minds were elsewhere.
Ramos was gone.
The thought had been circling through Ryota's mind ever since the attackers disappeared into the desert.
He couldn't stop replaying the scene.
The ropes wrapping around Ramos's legs.
The smoke.
Ramos shouting his name.
And then silence.
Ryota clenched his fist against his knee.
His health had recovered somewhat after consuming the potions they had received earlier, but his body still felt heavy. The battle against Apollonius had left him dangerously exhausted, and even now, the lingering pain in his muscles reminded him just how close he had come to death.
His armor wasn't in much better condition.
Several sections were damaged, and some of the scratches left by Apollonius were still visible across the surface.
Yet none of that bothered him anymore.
He could repair his armor.
He could recover his health.
He could replace damaged equipment.
Ramos was different.
The NPC couldn't simply respawn.
Ryota looked toward the distant dunes.
Every second they remained here was another second the kidnappers had to put distance between themselves and their target.
"I hate this."
Fayzan, sitting beside him, opened his eyes.
"You hate what?"
"Waiting."
Ryota's voice was quiet, but the frustration behind it was obvious.
"We're just sitting here while they get farther away."
Fayzan didn't immediately answer.
He understood.
He hated it too.
But rushing into the desert without knowing where the kidnappers had gone would accomplish nothing.
They had already made one mistake by underestimating their situation.
They couldn't afford another.
"That's why we're waiting for Ayame," Fayzan said.
Ryota sighed.
"I know."
He leaned his head back against the palm tree.
"I just wish she would hurry."
Fayzan gave him a tired smile.
"She'll get here."
Ryota glanced toward him.
"You sound pretty confident."
"I've known Ayame for a long time."
Fayzan shrugged.
"When she says she'll come, she comes."
Ryota nodded.
He looked back toward the desert.
"I hope you're right."
A few moments passed.
Then—
a shadow moved across the sand.
Ryota's head immediately lifted.
Someone was approaching from beyond the palm trees.
At first, the figure was little more than a silhouette against the bright desert sunlight.
Then she came closer.
Long purple hair swayed gently in the warm breeze, and a staff rested casually against her shoulder. Several crystal ornaments were attached to her equipment, catching the sunlight and reflecting faint violet flashes across the surrounding sand.
Ryota recognized her almost immediately.
"Ayame."
The girl smiled when she saw them.
Her gaze traveled over the two exhausted players before she raised an eyebrow.
"You two look terrible."
Fayzan let out a tired laugh.
"Good to see you too."
Ayame walked toward them, her expression softening slightly as she examined their condition.
"Are you injured?"
"Nothing serious," Fayzan answered.
Ryota nodded.
"We're alive."
Ayame stared at him for a moment.
Then she sighed.
"That's not exactly reassuring."
Ryota couldn't help smiling faintly.
"Considering what happened today, I think it's pretty reassuring."
Ayame didn't argue.
Instead, she looked over both players once more.
The damage to their equipment was obvious, and even though they were sitting in the shade, their movements remained sluggish.
She could tell they had been through something serious.
Without wasting any more time, Ayame opened her inventory.
Fayzan immediately looked toward her.
"Did you bring the potions I asked for?"
Ayame nodded.
"Of course."
She reached into her inventory.
Several large red bottles materialized in her hands.
The glass containers were significantly larger than ordinary health potions, and the thick crimson liquid inside shimmered faintly beneath the sunlight.
Ayame handed five bottles to Fayzan.
Then she handed another five to Ryota.
"Five Large Health Potions each."
Fayzan looked down at the bottles.
His tired expression immediately brightened.
"You're a lifesaver."
Ayame smiled faintly.
"Don't waste them."
"We won't."
Ryota immediately stored two of his potions inside his inventory.
Fayzan did the same.
The remaining bottles remained in their hands.
Without saying anything else, both players uncorked three potions each and drank them.
The bitter liquid flowed down their throats.
Almost immediately, a warm sensation spread throughout Ryota's body.
His health bar began climbing.
12%.
The number increased.
29%.
His breathing became steadier.
47%.
The heaviness in his limbs began to fade.
64%.
The aches left behind by the dungeon battle became less intense.
Then finally—
78%.
Ryota slowly exhaled.
The difference was incredible.
He still felt exhausted, but he no longer felt as though he would collapse if he stood up.
Across from him, Fayzan's health climbed at almost the same pace.
When the healing finished, both players looked considerably better.
Fayzan glanced down at his remaining potions.
"Two left."
Ryota nodded.
"Keep them."
"For emergencies."
Ayame smiled approvingly.
"Good."
She closed her inventory and looked between the two players.
For a moment, the atmosphere beneath the palm tree returned to something almost normal.
Then Ayame's expression became serious.
"Now..."
She looked at Fayzan.
"Why did you call me?"
The question immediately changed the atmosphere.
Fayzan's smile disappeared.
Ryota lowered his gaze.
Neither of them spoke for several seconds.
Finally, Fayzan answered.
"We have a problem."
Ayame waited.
Fayzan looked toward the empty desert.
"One of our friends was kidnapped."
Ayame's eyes widened.
"What?"
Fayzan proceeded to explain everything.
He told her about the ambush.
The hidden players.
The coordinated attacks.
The ropes they had used to restrain Ramos.
The smoke bombs.
Their inability to pursue the attackers.
And finally—
Ramos.
Ayame listened without interrupting.
Her expression changed several times as Fayzan explained the situation, but she remained silent until he finished.
When he finally stopped speaking, Ayame frowned.
"Why don't you just log out and ask him where he was taken?"
The question was perfectly reasonable.
If Ramos were another player, there would have been an obvious solution.
Ryota lowered his eyes.
Fayzan slowly shook his head.
"That's the problem."
Ayame frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Fayzan looked directly at her.
"He's not a player."
A brief silence followed.
Then he continued.
"Ramos is an NPC."
Ayame's expression immediately changed.
The confusion disappeared.
Understanding replaced it.
She knew exactly what that meant.
NPCs were different from players.
They couldn't simply log out.
They couldn't disconnect from Evermount and return to the real world.
And most importantly—
they didn't respawn.
If Ramos's health reached zero, there would be no second chance.
No return to a resurrection point.
No system message informing him that he could try again.
He would simply be gone.
Ayame's gaze lowered.
"...I understand."
Her voice became considerably softer.
"Then we need to find him quickly."
Ryota looked toward her.
"Can you track them?"
Ayame looked back at him.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"I can try."
She opened her inventory.
Then she selected a skill.
A faint violet glow began gathering around her hand.
"Let me use my familiar."
Ayame raised her staff toward the sky.
The crystal ornaments attached to it suddenly illuminated.
Violet light began swirling around the staff.
The air itself seemed to distort.
Then—
CRACK!
A burst of violet energy exploded above them.
Something emerged from the center of the light.
A bird.
At first glance, it resembled a hawk.
But it was far from an ordinary bird.
Its entire body appeared to have been formed from polished amethyst crystals. Its wings were composed of sharp, translucent fragments, each one reflecting the sunlight in brilliant purple flashes.
Its eyes glowed with a soft violet light.
As it moved, the crystals covering its body produced a faint, delicate chiming sound.
Ayame lowered her staff.
The creature spread its wings.
[Tamer Skill: Amethyst Raven]
The crystal bird launched itself into the sky.
Its wings beat once.
Twice.
Then it climbed higher.
And higher.
Within moments, it had become little more than a purple speck against the enormous blue sky.
Ayame closed her eyes.
A faint connection formed between her and the familiar.
She could see through its eyes.
The desert unfolded beneath its vision.
Dunes.
Rock formations.
Palm trees.
Oases.
Roads.
Every possible route leading away from the area.
The Amethyst Raven began circling above the desert.
It searched for anything that might have revealed the kidnappers' path.
Footprints.
Broken vegetation.
Disturbed sand.
Discarded equipment.
Anything that could serve as a clue.
Ayame remained completely still.
Ryota watched her anxiously.
"How long?"
"Give it a few minutes."
Ryota nodded.
"Okay."
He leaned back against the palm tree again.
For the first time since the ambush, he allowed himself to breathe.
Then another thought came to him.
Rio.
Ryota opened his communication window.
The translucent interface appeared before him.
He scrolled through his contacts until he found the name he was looking for.
Rio.
His finger hovered over the name.
For a moment, he hesitated.
He knew she would worry.
But she needed to know.
Ryota opened the private message window.
Ryota: Rio.
He waited.
Several seconds passed.
Then a reply appeared.
Rio: What's wrong?
Ryota stared at the message.
He didn't waste time.
Ryota: Ramos was kidnapped.
The response came almost instantly.
Rio: What?
Ryota explained everything.
The ambush.
The number of attackers.
The way they had separated them.
The ropes.
The smoke bombs.
Their retreat.
And finally, Ramos being taken.
He also sent their current location.
The response didn't come immediately this time.
Ryota stared at the communication window.
Then another message appeared.
Rio: Are you hurt?
Ryota looked down at his damaged armor.
Ryota: We're okay now. Ayame came.
He hesitated.
There was another question he wanted to ask.
One that he had been thinking about since the moment he contacted her.
Ryota finally typed it.
Ryota: Are you coming?
The message remained on the screen.
For several seconds, there was no response.
Then another few seconds passed.
Finally—
Rio: I can't.
Ryota's expression tightened.
Another message appeared.
Rio: I'm still buried in the guild paperwork.
Ryota stared at the words.
Then another message arrived.
Rio: It would take me roughly three hours to reach your location.
Three hours.
Ryota's hand slowly tightened.
That was too long.
Much too long.
The kidnappers had already disappeared into the desert.
Three hours could mean they were hundreds of kilometers away by the time Rio arrived.
Ryota stared at the screen.
Then another message appeared.
Rio: And there's something else.
Ryota waited.
Rio: I need to calm Silla down.
His expression softened immediately.
He understood.
Silla.
The moment Rio mentioned her, Ryota could almost imagine the scene inside Crowned Era's headquarters.
Silla had already lost almost everything.
Her family.
Her home.
Her village.
Her entire previous life.
And Ramos had been one of the only people from that life who remained beside her.
He wasn't simply another person she knew.
He was the last remaining connection to the world she had lost.
If Ramos disappeared too...
Ryota didn't want to imagine what would happen to her.
Another message appeared.
Rio: She heard that Ramos was kidnapped.
Ryota's gaze lowered.
Rio: She's crying.
He remained silent.
Then another message arrived.
Rio: She keeps saying she already lost her family.
Rio: Her village.
Rio: Ramos is all she has left from that life.
Ryota slowly closed his eyes.
His hand tightened around the communication device.
He understood now.
Rio wasn't refusing to help them because she didn't care.
She couldn't leave Silla alone.
Not now.
Silla had already experienced more loss than most people could endure.
If Ramos died too, she could lose the last piece of her old life.
Rio needed to be there for her.
And that meant Ryota needed to do what he could here.
Rio sent another message.
Rio: I can't leave her alone like this.
Rio: She doesn't know what she'll do if she loses him too.
Ryota stared at the words for several seconds.
Then he slowly typed.
Ryota: I understand.
A few seconds later, Rio responded.
Rio: I know you do.
The conversation remained quiet for a moment.
Then Ryota's communication window lit up again.
Rio: I sent your location to Kiraya.
Ryota's eyes widened.
Rio: She's on her way.
Another message appeared.
Rio: She's the nearest Crowned Era member available.
Ryota stared at the screen.
Kiraya.
The former vice captain of Eternity Lions.
Now one of Crowned Era's officers.
More importantly, one of the people Rio trusted most.
A faint smile appeared on Ryota's face.
"Kiraya is coming."
Fayzan looked toward him.
"Seriously?"
Ryota nodded.
"Rio sent her."
Fayzan released a breath of relief.
"Good."
Ayame opened her eyes.
"Kiraya?"
Ryota nodded.
"She's coming to help."
Ayame smiled.
"Really?"
She seemed genuinely pleased.
"I haven't seen her in a while. I miss her."
Ryota gave a small smile.
"You'll probably see her soon."
Ayame nodded.
Then her expression suddenly changed.
Her eyes shifted toward the sky.
The connection between her and the Amethyst Raven had changed.
"Wait."
Ryota immediately straightened.
"What?"
Ayame stared toward the horizon.
The crystal bird had changed direction.
It had stopped circling the area randomly.
Instead, it was descending.
Slowly at first.
Then faster.
Its wings folded slightly as it dropped toward a distant stretch of desert.
Ayame's eyes widened.
"I think it found something."
Ryota stood immediately.
His exhaustion was forgotten.
"Ramos?"
Ayame shook her head slightly.
"I don't know yet."
She focused harder.
"But there are tracks."
Fayzan stood as well.
"How far?"
Ayame looked toward the descending familiar.
"Not far."
Her voice became more focused.
"The tracks are heading east."
Ryota's eyes hardened.
"Then what are we waiting for?"
Ayame looked toward him.
"Wait for the raven to return. We need to make sure we have the correct trail before moving."
Ryota reluctantly nodded.
She was right.
Charging blindly into the desert would only give the kidnappers another advantage.
They needed information.
They needed a direction.
And if possible—
they needed to know exactly how many people they were pursuing.
The Amethyst Raven continued descending.
The three watched it closely.
For the first time since Ramos had been taken, they finally had something.
A trail.
A clue.
A direction.
Ryota looked toward the distant desert.
His hand slowly tightened around his sword.
He thought about Rio's final message.
Bring Ramos back.
Ryota stared at the words for several seconds before closing the communication window.
Then he looked toward Fayzan and Ayame.
"We're bringing him back."
Fayzan nodded.
"Yeah."
Ayame adjusted her grip on her staff.
"We'll find him."
Ryota looked toward the distant dunes.
The afternoon sun continued to burn above the desert, but the warmth no longer bothered him.
They weren't exploring anymore.
They weren't hunting for treasure.
They weren't attempting to clear another dungeon.
They were searching for someone who couldn't afford for them to fail.
Somewhere beyond those dunes, Ramos was being taken farther away with every passing minute.
And unlike them—
he couldn't respawn.
If his captors killed him, there would be no second attempt.
No resurrection.
No return.
No chance to fix their mistake.
Ryota stepped forward.
Fayzan followed beside him.
Ayame remained close behind as the Amethyst Raven circled overhead.
Their search had finally begun.
And this time, Ryota wasn't willing to accept failure.
Not when someone's life was on the line.