The Town of Beginnings had never been particularly quiet, but the silence that followed the destruction of the dungeon entrance was unlike anything its residents had experienced before.
A thick cloud of dust hung over the ruined structure, drifting lazily through the afternoon sunlight. Fragments of stone and splintered timber littered the street, while the remains of the barricade lay scattered across the ground like the wreckage of a building struck by a siege weapon. Several members of Necroshama struggled to their feet, coughing as they brushed dust from their armor. Others remained sprawled among the debris, staring blankly at the sky as though their minds had yet to catch up with what had happened.
Only moments ago, they had been confidently guarding the entrance to a public raid dungeon, demanding payment from anyone who wished to enter. Now, their barricade had been reduced to rubble by a single punch from a white-haired young man who hadn't even bothered to look particularly serious.
Meanwhile, the person responsible for the destruction had already turned his back on them.
Rio adjusted the strap of her weapon and continued down the street as though nothing particularly noteworthy had happened. Ryota walked beside her with a satisfied expression, his hands resting casually behind his head. A few steps behind them, Suo hurried to keep up, still struggling to process what she had just witnessed. Rabbit and her two companions, however, remained rooted to the spot for several seconds longer, their gazes moving between the retreating pair and the ruins of the building.
Then a furious roar shattered the silence.
"HEY!"
Rio continued walking.
"HEY! I'M TALKING TO YOU!"
The second shout was loud enough to make several nearby players flinch. Behind them, Erik stood among the debris with his face twisted in rage. Dust clung to his armor, and a thin stream of blood trickled from a scratch on his cheek. One of his companions was helping another player regain his footing, while the rest of Necroshama's members began gathering around their captain.
Erik pointed at Rio and Ryota with a trembling hand. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO YOU'RE MESSING WITH?!"
Ryota glanced over his shoulder, his expression suggesting mild surprise. "Oh, he's still talking."
Rio let out a tired sigh. "Unfortunately."
That casual exchange only made Erik angrier. His face reddened as he watched them continue to ignore him, as though his threats were nothing more than an annoying noise coming from somewhere behind them.
"YOU DESTROYED NECROSHAMA'S PROPERTY! YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST WALK AWAY?!"
Rio finally stopped. For a moment, she remained motionless, her silver hair shifting gently in the breeze. Then she turned her head and looked back over her shoulder. There was no anger in her expression, nor any hint of apprehension. If anything, she looked mildly inconvenienced, as though someone had interrupted her while she was trying to finish an ordinary errand.
"Just a bunch of wannabe jerks," she replied. "You're not nearly as strong as you think you are."
The words struck Erik harder than the destruction of his barricade.
His eyes widened, and his jaw tightened until the muscles in his face visibly strained. "What did you say?"
Rio tilted her head slightly. "Do you need me to repeat it?"
"YOU—!"
Erik's hand shot toward his inventory. A flash of light erupted beside him, and a massive hammer materialized in his grasp. Its dark metallic head was covered in jagged ridges, while glowing runes extended along the handle. The weapon was enormous, easily large enough to crush an ordinary player beneath its weight, and the way Erik held it suggested that he was accustomed to making people reconsider their choices simply by displaying it.
Several nearby players recognized the weapon and immediately stepped away.
Erik was the captain of Necroshama for a reason. Although he relied heavily on intimidation, he was not merely an empty threat. His class specialized in heavy weapons, and his hammer had been designed to deliver devastating blows against opponents who lacked the strength or equipment to withstand them. With enough room to swing it, he could turn a confrontation into a one-sided beating before his opponent had time to react.
Unfortunately for him, he had chosen the wrong person to demonstrate its power against.
"YOU'RE GOING TO REGRET THAT!"
Erik planted his feet firmly against the ground and raised the hammer above his head. His muscles tightened as mana surged through the weapon, causing the runes along its surface to glow brighter. A heavy pressure spread across the street, and loose stones began trembling beneath his boots as he gathered power for his attack.
Several players immediately recognized the telltale movements of a powerful heavy-weapon skill.
"He's charging an attack!"
"Get away from them!"
"That thing could smash someone into the ground!"
Suo's eyes widened as Erik lunged forward. "Rio, look out!"
The hammer descended with enough force to make the air whistle around its enormous head. Erik had no intention of allowing his opponent an opportunity to recover from the humiliation he had suffered. He meant to crush Rio with one overwhelming blow, then use her defeat to restore the reputation Necroshama had just lost in front of the entire town.
Yet Rio didn't retreat.
She didn't even draw her weapon early.
Only when the hammer was almost upon her did a brief flash of light appear beside her hand, materializing the familiar Imperial Saber into her grasp. Its plain blade gleamed beneath the afternoon sunlight as she shifted her stance and raised it toward the incoming weapon.
CLANG!
The collision rang through the street, startling nearby players and sending a sharp metallic echo between the surrounding buildings. Several spectators instinctively covered their ears, while others stared at the point where the two weapons had met.
Erik's hammer had stopped.
It hadn't struck a wall, nor had Rio dodged at the last moment and forced him to miss. The enormous weapon had been halted by a single sword held in the hands of a silver-haired girl who appeared far too calm for someone standing beneath such a devastating attack.
Rio's boots had pressed slightly into the dirt, but her arms remained steady. Her Imperial Saber rested against the hammer's metal head, its blade angled to resist the downward force. She looked up at Erik with the same expression she had worn before the attack began.
Erik stared at her in disbelief.
"...What?"
Rio glanced at the hammer, then at its wielder. "Is that supposed to be heavy?"
His expression twisted with fury. "SHUT UP!"
He poured more mana into the weapon and forced it downward with all his strength. The runes flared, and the air around the hammer trembled as he attempted to overwhelm her through sheer force. His arms shook beneath the effort, and the veins along his neck stood out as he strained against the resistance.
Rio's sword barely moved.
To her, the attack felt less like facing a powerful opponent and more like watching someone struggle to lift an object that was just a little too heavy for them. She could have stepped aside, allowing Erik's momentum to carry him into the ground. She could have used Chronos Eye to manipulate the timing of the confrontation and end it before he understood what had happened. She could even have revealed more of her abilities and defeated him in a way that left no room for doubt.
But she had no intention of giving him that satisfaction.
Instead, she decided to make a point.
Rio tightened her grip on the Imperial Saber and studied the enormous hammer for a fraction of a second. Then, with a movement so simple that it almost seemed careless, she swung her blade across its metal head.
KRAAAAAAAAAANG!
A deafening metallic shriek ripped through the square. The sound was so sharp that several spectators recoiled, while others instinctively looked away from the collision. For one brief instant, Erik's hammer remained intact, its glowing runes still shining against the dark metal.
Then a thin crack appeared across its surface.
Erik's eyes widened.
"...No."
The crack spread across the weapon's head. One line became two, and then dozens of fractures branched outward until the reinforced metal began splitting apart. The runes flickered erratically, their glow fading and returning in uneven pulses as the hammer's structure failed beneath the impact.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
The entire head shattered.
Fragments of black metal scattered across the street, striking the ground with sharp clattering sounds. The remaining handle snapped a moment later, leaving Erik holding little more than a broken length of wood and metal. A few fragments bounced against his armor before rolling into the dust, and the last fading sparks of mana disappeared from the ruined weapon.
Silence descended over the square once more.
Erik stared at what remained in his hands. Slowly, almost unwillingly, he lifted his gaze toward Rio. His mouth opened, but no words came out. The hammer had been one of his most prized possessions, something he had invested a considerable amount of money in upgrading, strengthening, and improving. It was the weapon he relied upon whenever he needed to establish dominance over another player.
And this girl had destroyed it with a single swing of an ordinary-looking sword.
Rio, meanwhile, casually inspected the edge of her Imperial Saber. She turned the blade slightly, checking its surface in the sunlight, but there wasn't even a visible chip. Apparently satisfied with the result, she gave it a small approving nod.
"Hm. Still in good condition."
She turned her attention back to Erik. "Anyway, I was leaving."
For a moment, the captain looked as though he couldn't decide whether to scream or collapse from sheer disbelief. Then humiliation overwhelmed whatever judgment he had left.
"YOU THINK YOU CAN DO THAT TO ME?!"
Abandoning any remaining sense of caution, Erik lunged forward. His broken weapon was practically useless, but he seemed convinced that sheer anger could compensate for the difference between them. He charged with his shoulders lowered, swinging the broken hammer handle toward Rio in a clumsy attempt to land a hit.
Rio watched him approach with an expression of profound disappointment.
"You're really making this tedious."
She stepped aside, allowing the attack to pass harmlessly through the space she had occupied a moment earlier. Before Erik could recover his balance, she pivoted on one foot and drove a powerful kick directly into his torso.
THUD!
The impact landed squarely against his chest armor. Erik's eyes bulged as the force lifted his feet from the ground, sending him flying backward with a strangled cry. His arms flailed helplessly as he sailed through the air, and for one ridiculous moment, he appeared to have forgotten that gravity existed.
Then he crashed directly into several of his own guild members.
CRAAAAASH!
Three players collapsed beneath the impact. Another stumbled backward and fell over the remains of the barricade, while a fifth barely managed to avoid being dragged into the growing pile of armor and limbs. The resulting commotion filled the street with groans, curses, and the unpleasant clatter of metal striking stone.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then one of the players trapped beneath Erik managed to groan, "Captain..."
Erik slowly lifted his head. "...Shut up."
"You're sitting on my chest."
"I SAID SHUT UP!"
Rio watched the spectacle with mild disinterest. Once she was satisfied that Erik wasn't going to charge at her again immediately, she turned away, brushed a little dust from her sleeve, and straightened her clothes. She adjusted her collar, checked the position of her Imperial Saber, and continued walking as though the confrontation had been nothing more than an inconvenient interruption on the way to her destination.
Ryota fell into step beside her. He glanced back at the collapsed members of Necroshama, then looked toward Rio with an expression that mixed amusement with genuine curiosity.
"...You know, you could've just left."
Rio gave him a sideways look. "I was trying to."
"You destroyed his hammer."
"He attacked me with it."
"Then you kicked him into his own guild."
"He was standing in front of them."
Ryota considered that explanation for a moment before nodding thoughtfully. "...Fair enough."
Suo, who had finally caught up with them, could only stare.
She had seen powerful players before. She had watched experienced adventurers defeat monsters that beginners could barely scratch, and she had heard stories about rare classes and unique weapons capable of turning the tide of entire raids. But she had never seen anyone treat a captain of Necroshama as though he were an irritating shopkeeper refusing to give them the correct change.
What made the encounter even more unsettling was that Rio hadn't appeared particularly serious. She had stopped Erik's charged attack with one sword, shattered his prized weapon, and sent him flying into his own guild members. Then she had brushed the dust from her clothes and resumed walking without so much as looking back.
Suo hurried after her, her thoughts racing as she tried to make sense of what she had witnessed.
"R-Rio!"
Rio glanced over her shoulder. "Hm?"
Suo hesitated. She wanted to ask about the sword, about Rio's strength, and about the strange confidence with which she had confronted a guild captain in the middle of town. Yet the words became tangled in her throat, leaving her with only one question.
"...Who exactly are you?"
Ryota immediately opened his mouth. "She's—"
Rio stepped squarely on his foot.
"Ow!"
Without even glancing at him, Rio turned back to Suo and smiled pleasantly. "Someone who doesn't like bullies."
Suo stared at her.
That answer explained absolutely nothing. It didn't tell her what level Rio was, where she had obtained her sword, or why she seemed capable of overwhelming an experienced player without any visible effort. Nevertheless, something about the simple answer made Suo feel a little safer than she had moments earlier.
Perhaps it was because Rio had intervened when she hadn't expected anyone to help. Perhaps it was because Rio had treated Erik's threats as meaningless from the beginning. Or perhaps it was simply the fact that, despite her overwhelming strength, Rio had never once acted as though Suo owed her anything.
Suo couldn't say for certain.
She only knew that she wanted to understand these two people better.
Behind them, Rabbit and her two companions finally snapped out of their shock. The three beginners exchanged uncertain glances before looking toward the ruined building, then at the defeated members of Necroshama, and finally at Rio and Ryota.
Rabbit swallowed. "...Did you just see that?"
One of her companions nodded slowly. "I think everyone saw that."
The other looked at the broken hammer lying in the dirt. "...She destroyed it."
"With a sword," the first added, as though the detail made the situation even more difficult to understand.
"And then kicked Erik into his own guild."
Rabbit fell silent.
She had spent enough time in Evermount to understand that extraordinary players existed. Some possessed rare skills, some had equipment that most beginners could only dream of acquiring, and some were simply much better at the game than everyone around them. However, those players usually belonged to large guilds, carried expensive equipment, and made certain that everyone knew exactly how powerful they were.
Rio had done none of those things.
She hadn't announced her level, introduced herself, or threatened Erik with the reputation of some powerful organization. She hadn't even bothered to argue with him. She had simply decided that he was in her way and removed him from it.
A chill crept down Rabbit's spine.
Do not mess with that woman.
She wasn't sure who Rio was, and she had no idea what Ryota was capable of. But she was suddenly very certain that provoking either of them would be an exceptionally poor decision.
Her two companions appeared to reach the same conclusion.
Rabbit glanced at the ruined entrance one final time before making her decision. "Come on," she told them quietly. "We're following them."
The two beginners exchanged looks. "...Are you sure?"
"No," Rabbit admitted honestly. "But staying here doesn't look like a particularly good idea either."
She hurried after Rio, and her companions quickly followed. Within moments, the three of them had joined the small group trailing behind the silver-haired swordswoman and her white-haired companion. Suo walked near the front, while Rabbit and her guildmates kept a respectful distance, still uncertain about how they were supposed to behave around people who could dismantle an entire guild's confidence without breaking a sweat.
Behind them, Erik finally managed to push himself free from the pile of his own companions. He staggered upright, his face burning with humiliation as he surveyed the wreckage of his weapon and barricade. For a moment, he looked as though he might explode.
"YOU!"
His shout echoed through the square.
Rio didn't turn around. Ryota didn't turn around either.
Erik pointed at their retreating backs, trembling with rage. "YOU'RE GOING TO REGRET THIS! DO YOU HEAR ME?! NECROSHAMA WILL MAKE YOU REGRET EVER CROSSING US!"
Rio continued walking as though she hadn't heard a thing.
Ryota glanced sideways at her. "Should we answer him?"
"No."
"Not even a little?"
"No."
"What if I wave?"
Rio gave him a flat look. "Ryota."
He immediately faced forward. "Understood."
Erik's threats continued echoing behind them for several seconds, but distance gradually swallowed his voice. Eventually, the shouting and commotion around the destroyed building faded into the background, replaced by the ordinary sounds of the town as its residents slowly returned to their activities.
For Rio, the matter was already over. She had more important things to do than waste time arguing with someone who had mistaken intimidation for strength. Still, as she walked toward the northern gate, a familiar thought settled in the back of her mind.
If Necroshama really was beginning to establish the same kind of influence she remembered from her previous life, then this encounter might have been only the first sign of a much larger problem. Erik's behavior suggested that he had already grown comfortable controlling access to public resources, and the willingness of his guild members to follow his orders indicated that this wasn't simply an isolated act of arrogance.
Rio would deal with that when the time came.
For now, Suo needed a place to train, and Rio knew exactly where to take her.
The group passed through the outer streets of the Town of Beginnings before reaching the northern gate. Beyond it, the familiar forest stretched beneath the afternoon sunlight, its towering trees forming a thick green canopy over the winding paths. Sunbeams slipped between the leaves, illuminating patches of grass and the occasional cluster of flowers growing beside the trail. From a distance, the forest looked peaceful enough to invite a leisurely walk, but anyone who had spent time in Evermount knew better than to judge a hunting area by its appearance.
The outer sections were popular among new players because they contained weak monsters that could be defeated with basic equipment. Adventurers could gain experience, collect materials, and become accustomed to the game's combat system without placing themselves in excessive danger. Farther inside, however, the difficulty increased. Monsters became stronger and more aggressive, while the paths grew less familiar and the chance of encountering something beyond a beginner's abilities rose considerably.
Most inexperienced players wisely stayed near the edge.
Rio, naturally, continued deeper into the forest.
Ryota walked beside her with his hands behind his head, looking as relaxed as though they were taking a casual stroll through a park. Suo followed close behind, while Rabbit and her two companions kept glancing between the trees and the pair leading them. At first, the path was familiar enough. Small monsters occasionally appeared between the bushes, a few low-level players hunted in nearby clearings, and the sounds of combat drifted through the trees.
But the farther they traveled, the less frequently they encountered other adventurers.
The paths narrowed as the trees grew thicker, their branches intertwining overhead until the sunlight became dimmer and more fragmented. The familiar sounds of players fighting weak monsters gradually faded, replaced by deeper growls and the occasional rustling of something considerably larger moving through the undergrowth. Even the atmosphere seemed to change. The forest was no longer a convenient hunting ground for beginners but a territory where the creatures had far less reason to fear human visitors.
Suo eventually slowed down.
"...Rio?"
Rio looked over her shoulder. "What's up?"
Suo glanced at the surrounding forest before opening her status map. Her Explorer Scout class allowed her to identify routes, track movement, and assess environmental hazards, making her more sensitive than most beginners to the risks of entering unfamiliar territory. The information appearing on her screen, however, was becoming increasingly concerning.
"The monsters around here are much stronger than the ones near the village," she explained. "Some of them are above my level. Probably above Rabbit's level too."
Rabbit nodded quietly. Her companions looked even less comfortable, with one moving closer to her while the other repeatedly glanced back toward the distant road they had taken. They weren't imagining the danger. The forest was becoming less forgiving with every step, and the creatures inhabiting its deeper sections were not the sort of enemies a small group of beginners should encounter without preparation.
Suo looked toward Rio again. "Shouldn't we find another place? Somewhere closer to the village?"
Rio shook her head. "No need to worry. Just stick close to me and Ryota."
She delivered the answer so casually that Suo almost wondered whether Rio had understood the concern behind her question.
"That's it?" Suo asked.
"That's it."
Ryota smiled over his shoulder. "Don't worry. If anything tries to eat us, Rio will probably complain about the inconvenience before killing it."
Rio elbowed him lightly. "You're making me sound unreasonable."
"Am I wrong?"
"...Keep walking."
Ryota laughed and obediently faced forward again.
Suo watched the exchange with a complicated expression. She wasn't entirely reassured, but she couldn't deny that the two of them appeared completely comfortable in an area that was making everyone else nervous. Rio never hesitated when the path narrowed, and the sounds coming from the trees didn't seem to surprise her. Ryota was equally unnerving in his own way. He didn't constantly scan the surroundings like an anxious beginner, yet he never seemed so distracted that something could approach him without his notice.
They didn't behave like ordinary players.
They didn't even behave like experienced players who were worried about protecting a group of beginners. There was something almost unsettling about the confidence with which they moved through the forest, as though the surrounding monsters were merely obstacles that might briefly delay them rather than genuine threats.
Rabbit swallowed and glanced at her companions. She had followed Rio because she wanted to get away from Necroshama, and because staying near someone who had effortlessly defeated Erik seemed safer than remaining in town. But now that the trees had grown denser and the monsters stronger, she was beginning to question just how much she understood about the people she had chosen to follow.
What kind of people did I just decide to follow?
She had no answer.
And she was beginning to suspect that she wouldn't get a straightforward one anytime soon.
After several more minutes of walking, Rio finally stopped. The others nearly bumped into one another as they came to a halt behind her, their attention shifting toward the hillside ahead.
Partially concealed beneath the tangled roots of several enormous trees was a dark opening in the stone. Thick vines hung across its entrance, and moss covered the surrounding rock, making the opening difficult to distinguish from the natural shadows cast by the hillside. At first glance, it looked like nothing more than an ordinary cave that had been left undisturbed for years.
But Rio's expression brightened.
"We're here."
Suo stared at the opening. "...Here?"
Rio nodded. "A hidden dungeon."
Rabbit immediately straightened, while her two companions exchanged surprised looks.
"A hidden dungeon?" one of them repeated.
Rio turned toward the group and gestured toward the entrance. "More specifically, it's the lair of a monster called a Drillmole."
She explained that the Drillmole was a mole-like creature capable of digging through walls and moving beneath the ground. Unlike enemies that approached their targets from the front, it could attack from places its opponents weren't watching, emerging from the floor or breaking through the surrounding stone with very little warning.
Suo's expression grew serious. "An ambush monster?"
"Exactly."
Rio smiled as she watched the others absorb the information. "That's why most players have trouble fighting it the first time. They spend the entire battle watching the entrance or trying to predict where it'll emerge, while the boss can move through the surrounding walls and floor."
Ryota peered into the darkness. "So it's a giant mole with drills for hands?"
"That's the general idea."
"...Sounds adorable."
Rio slowly turned to look at him. "Don't say that after it tries to drill through your stomach."
Ryota nodded thoughtfully. "Right. Terrifying mole."
Suo let out a nervous laugh, although her gaze remained fixed on the cave. As an Explorer Scout, she was accustomed to identifying safe routes and warning others about hazards. A monster capable of digging through walls was precisely the sort of enemy that could turn an otherwise successful expedition into a disaster. It could bypass a defensive formation, attack someone from beneath their feet, and retreat underground before its opponents had time to retaliate.
Yet Rio didn't appear concerned.
If anything, she looked pleased to have found the place.
"Come on," she said. "The faster we get inside, the sooner we can start."
Without waiting for another question, Rio pushed aside the hanging vines and stepped into the cave. Ryota followed immediately, apparently unconcerned by the possibility of a giant mole trying to turn him into its next meal. Suo took a breath before following them, and Rabbit and her two companions exchanged one final glance before hurrying inside as well.
None of them noticed the faint movement among the trees behind them.
A distant figure stood partially concealed by the thick trunk of an old tree, watching the group disappear into the hillside. The observer had remained far enough away to avoid attracting attention, using the dense undergrowth and the shadows between the trees to conceal their presence. For several seconds, they stayed completely still, listening to the forest and watching the entrance.
Then the figure moved closer, placing each step carefully to avoid disturbing the leaves and undergrowth.
Someone had followed Rio and Ryota from the Town of Beginnings.
And they had no intention of announcing their presence.
Inside, the cave was surprisingly simple.
Suo had expected a complicated dungeon filled with winding tunnels, hidden passages, pressure plates, and traps that would punish anyone who moved without caution. Rabbit appeared to have expected something similar, judging by the way she examined every patch of ground beneath her feet. Her companions were equally vigilant, occasionally glancing at the walls as though they expected a hidden mechanism to spring to life the moment they took another step.
Instead, they found a short stone passage that led directly into a single chamber.
There were no branching corridors or confusing maze. No elaborate sequence of traps awaited them, and there were no obvious signs of a puzzle that needed to be solved before they could proceed. The walls were rough and uneven, with patches of dark soil breaking through the stone. Small roots extended from the ceiling, while pale crystals embedded in the rock provided just enough light to illuminate the chamber.
The entire dungeon was so compact that it almost felt unfinished.
Ryota looked around, his eyes traveling from one wall to the next. "...That's it?"
Rio nodded. "That's it."
"No maze?"
"No maze."
"No hidden rooms?"
"Not that we need."
Ryota looked toward the ceiling, then back at the passage behind them. "No elaborate death trap?"
Rio glanced at him. "Are you disappointed?"
He considered the question with surprising seriousness. "...A little."
"That's concerning."
Ryota shrugged. "What can I say? I've developed an appreciation for unnecessarily complicated dungeons."
Suo stared at him. "How is that something you appreciate?"
"Because the simpler ones usually have a monster that hits you really hard."
Rio smiled. "At least you're learning."
They continued toward the center of the chamber, where the floor widened into a circular arena surrounded by uneven stone walls. The pale crystals embedded in the rock cast faint reflections across the ground, revealing marks that looked as though something heavy had repeatedly scraped and dug through the stone. The air carried a faint earthy smell, and the closer they approached the arena, the more noticeable the subtle vibrations beneath their feet became.
Then they saw it.
The Drillmole stood near the center of the chamber, its body larger than that of an ordinary mole and covered in coarse brown fur. Its thick, compact frame rested on short but powerful legs, each ending in enormous digging claws. Two metallic drills had been attached to its forelimbs, their steel surfaces catching the dim light as they rotated slowly with a low mechanical grinding sound.
Its tiny eyes were almost hidden beneath a heavy brow, while its broad snout twitched as it examined the intruders. Although its general shape might have seemed almost comical from a distance, the mechanical drills and the strength suggested by its thick limbs made it considerably less endearing up close.
A faint system label appeared above its head.
[Hidden Dungeon Boss: Drillmole]
[Type: Beast / Earth]
Suo stopped immediately. Rabbit and her companions came to a halt beside her, their earlier curiosity giving way to caution. Even though the boss wasn't particularly enormous, the drills attached to its arms made it look far more dangerous than its mole-like appearance suggested.
One of Rabbit's companions whispered, "...That thing looks like it could dig through a house."
"It probably could," Suo answered quietly.
The Drillmole lowered its head.
Its drills began rotating faster.
VRRRRRRRRRRRR!
The grinding noise grew louder, reverberating through the chamber until everyone could feel the vibration beneath their feet. Small grains of dirt loosened from the surrounding walls, and a faint tremor passed through the arena as the creature shifted its weight. The Drillmole's posture changed from idle curiosity to unmistakable aggression, its body lowering as it prepared to charge or burrow.
Rabbit instinctively moved closer to her companions. Suo tightened her grip on her weapon, watching the boss carefully and trying to judge how quickly it might move. She was already considering possible escape routes, though the compact chamber offered few places where a beginner could safely hide from an enemy capable of tunneling through stone.
The boss was clearly preparing to attack.
And yet Rio appeared almost bored.
She studied the creature for several seconds, examining its posture, the drills attached to its forelimbs, and the faint tremors spreading across the ground. Her expression suggested that she was evaluating a familiar problem rather than facing a dangerous dungeon boss for the first time.
Then she turned toward Ryota.
"Do you want to fight it?"
Ryota's entire expression changed.
The relaxed smile disappeared, replaced by the bright enthusiasm of someone who had just been offered an unexpected opportunity to cause trouble. His gaze shifted toward the Drillmole, and for the first time since entering the dungeon, he looked genuinely eager to get started.
"Really?"
Rio nodded. "Really."
Ryota looked at the boss, then at his own hands, before turning back toward Rio with an increasingly broad grin.
"Oh, absolutely."
He stepped forward, rolling his shoulders as he prepared to enter the arena. "Finally. A boss that doesn't require us to walk through seventeen corridors, solve six puzzles, and get chased by something that shouldn't exist."
Rio gave him an amused look. "Try not to destroy the entire dungeon."
Ryota raised a thumb. "I make no promises."
"That wasn't a suggestion."
"Understood."
Despite his response, the grin on his face suggested that Rio's warning had done very little to reduce his enthusiasm. He continued toward the arena with the confident stride of someone who had already decided that the fight was going to be fun, regardless of how much damage he might cause along the way.
Meanwhile, Rio stepped away from the arena and approached a large, flat rock near the chamber wall. She brushed away a little dust before sitting down comfortably, crossing one leg over the other as though she had discovered an ideal seat for watching a performance. After adjusting her position, she rested one arm against the rock and looked toward the battlefield with the relaxed expression of a spectator settling in to enjoy a show.
Suo stared at her.
Then she looked at Ryota.
Then she turned back to Rio, as if hoping that she had somehow misunderstood what was happening.
"...Wait."
Rio looked up. "Hm?"
Suo pointed toward the boss. "Are you not going to fight it?"
Rio tilted her head, genuinely puzzled by the question. "Why would I?"
Suo blinked. "...Because it's a hidden dungeon boss?"
"Yes."
"And it's right there?"
"Also yes."
"And you're just going to sit down?"
Rio settled more comfortably against the rock. "Ryota is enough."
The words came without the slightest hesitation.
Suo stared at her, unable to decide whether Rio was incredibly confident in her companion or simply had no sense of danger. Rabbit and her two guildmates looked equally stunned. They had followed Rio into a hidden dungeon, expecting at least some kind of explanation or coordinated plan before confronting the boss. Instead, the silver-haired swordswoman had decided to sit on a rock and let her companion handle everything.
Ryota, for his part, seemed delighted.
He walked into the arena and raised one hand toward the Drillmole in a friendly greeting. "Hey, little guy."
The creature's drills spun faster in response.
VRRRRRRRRRRRR!
Ryota nodded as though the sound had confirmed something important. "Yeah, I figured you'd be the aggressive type."
He glanced over his shoulder toward Rio. "Any advice?"
Rio rested her chin against one hand. "Don't let it drill through you."
Ryota considered that for a moment. "...You know, that's actually pretty good advice."
Suo slowly covered her face with one hand.
Rabbit exchanged a bewildered look with her companions, neither of whom seemed any more capable of making sense of the situation. The boss was preparing to attack, the chamber offered very little room to maneuver, and the two people who had brought them here were behaving as though they had come to watch a comedy show.
None of them knew what was about to happen.
Ryota stood in the middle of the arena, facing the Drillmole as its drills churned with increasing speed. The ground trembled beneath the creature's forelimbs, and its head dipped lower as it prepared to burrow. Rather than retreating, Ryota's smile widened with anticipation.
For him, the dungeon had become exactly what he wanted: a place where he could fight without having to worry about an elaborate plan, a complicated maze, or a group of enemies interrupting him halfway through the fun.
From the shadows near the dungeon entrance, the unseen observer watched the arena in silence.
They had followed Rio and Ryota expecting to learn something about the two mysterious players. The destruction of the barricade had already revealed that the pair possessed strength far beyond what their casual behavior suggested. But the observer had suspected there was more to them than a single impressive display.
Now, watching Rio sit comfortably at the edge of the arena while Ryota prepared to face a hidden dungeon boss alone, they were about to discover just how dangerous that decision might be.
The Drillmole's drills roared.
Ryota stepped forward.
And the fight was about to begin.