After the Absolutes defeated the monster, the kingdom slowly returned to normal.
People and heroes began heading back to their places, though the air was still filled with excited chatter.
Everyone spoke of the same thing—the overwhelming power of the Absolutes.
Leo, however, was still standing in place.
Unmoving.
His mind was still trapped in what he had just witnessed. The battle replayed endlessly in his thoughts—the speed, the power, the dominance.
He didn't even notice Ash talking to him.
Smack!
"Let's go, Leo. We haven't even taken a quest yet," Ash said casually.
"Ouch!" Leo snapped back to reality, rubbing his head. "Why'd you hit me?! You could've just dragged me!"
Ash grinned. "As you wish. I'll drag you next time."
Leo sighed in annoyance, but the excitement in his chest hadn't faded.
The two began walking toward the guild.
As they walked, leo glanced at Ash. "Those Absolutes… they're insanely strong, huh?"
Ash raised an eyebrow. "Of course they are.
They're at top leaderboard XP ranker, you know."
Leo scratched his head awkwardly. "I guess I should've checked the top ranks… it's just too far to scroll," he said with a small laugh.
Ash shook his head, amused.
As they continued walking, Leo briefly noticed a girl with white hair and red eyes carrying a beautifully crafted bow. Something about her felt different… but he didn't pay much attention and kept moving.
When they arrived at the guild, they immediately searched for a quest in citizens quest board.
They found a citizen request, posted outside the kingdom.
Location : South: Grain Farm Near Forest
Target: D-Grade Monster
Reward: 2 Gold Coins
Leo and Ash exchanged looks.
Even though the location was far—near the deep forest—they still accepted it.
Two gold coins was too valuable to ignore, valuable than silver and bronze coins.
They quickly made their way toward the client's house, which was located near a large grain farm far from the kingdom.
After a long walk, they finally arrived.
An old man stood outside, looking tired and troubled.
Ash stepped forward politely. "Are you okay, sir?"
The old man sighed deeply. "I'm fine… but that monster attacked my goats. Most of them are dead… only eleven are left."
Leo stepped forward, determination and bravery in his eyes, thinking the process to become an absolute. "We'll take care of it."
Without wasting time, the two headed toward the forest.
The deeper they went, the more dangerous it felt.
Soon, they encountered a swarm of flying insect monsters—F-Grade.
"Seriously?" Ash muttered.
The fight dragged longer as expected, while leo can't hit the insects because they flying so fast. The insects were fast, constantly flying away whenever danger approached.
But then—
"I've had enough of this," Ash said.
He raised his hand.
"Flaming Bomb."
A small explosion burst in the air, followed by flames that burned through the swarm. The insects fell one by one, defeated.
Leo watched in amazement.
"Nice one, Ash… I wish I had magic too," he said quietly, a hint of disappointment in his voice.
Ash glanced at him and smirked. "And I wish I had your physical strength."
Reo blinked.
Then both of them laughed.
Each wishing for what the other had.
But their laughter didn't last long.
A sudden presence filled the air. It wasn't just a feeling. It was pressure—heavy, suffocating.
The forest fell into an unnatural silence. Leo's instincts screamed, but before either of them could react—
SLASH!
A claw tore across Ash's back.
"ASH!" Leo shouted.
Ash's body jerked forward, the force sending him stumbling as pain and blood exploded across his back.
"…Ghk—!" He dropped to one knee, his hand digging into the dirt as his vision blurred.
Leo's expression changed instantly. No hesitation. No fear. Only instinct. He vanished from his spot—
BOOM!
The ground cracked beneath him, leaving a small crater as he surged forward. In a blink, he stood before the attacker.
A massive lion emerged from the shadows, its towering body rippling with muscle, eyes glowing with feral hunger.
A D-Grade Monster—Physical Type.
Leo tightened his grip on his sword and struck.
CRACK!
His blade carved deep into the lion's shoulder, the force splitting the ground beneath his feet. The beast staggered back with a pained growl—but it didn't fall.
Leo didn't waste a second. He rushed back to Ash, lifting him quickly and guiding him to a nearby tree. "Are you okay?" he asked urgently.
Ash forced a weak smile, breathing uneven. "I'm fine… it just hurts like hell."
Before Reo could respond—
ROOOAAARRR!!
The lion charged again.
This time, leo stepped forward.
He ran.
Then jumped.
Mid-air, he twisted his body and brought his blade down with all his strength.
BOOM!
The strike slammed the lion into the ground, dust erupting around them. For a moment, everything stilled.
Then the lion's eyes snapped open.
It turned—toward Ash.
"Not happening…" Ash muttered, raising his trembling hand.
"Flaming Blast!"
A surge of fire burst forward.
FWOOOSH!
The flames engulfed the lion completely, scorching the surrounding trees.
The beast let out one final roar before collapsing.
Silence followed.
"Whew…" Ash exhaled heavily, slumping. "I think I'm out of mana."
Leo lowered his sword slightly. "Yeah… we should head back after this."
As leo crouched to gather materials from the fallen lion, a strange feeling crept in.
The forest felt wrong.
Too quiet.
Even the wind had stopped.
His hand paused. "…Why is it so quiet?"
Then suddenly—movement. Small animals and monsters rushed past them in panic.
Leo froze.
"…That's not good."
A massive shadow slithered between the trees before revealing itself—a gigantic serpent, its scales glistening, its eyes cold and predatory.
A C-Grade Monster—Poisonous Type.
"Run!" Leo shouted, grabbing the materials and pulling Ash up. "Move!"
The snake lunged.
Fast.
Too fast.
"Leo!" Ash shouted.
Leo turned—
Too late.
THUD!
An arrow pierced the snake's right eye. The creature thrashed violently.
Another arrow followed—striking its left eye.
A figure appeared.
A girl.
She moved swiftly, almost like a blur.
With every pull of her bow, an arrow formed instantly—pure energy, sharp and glowing. She released them one after another, each shot precise and controlled.
Leo stared in shock. "…What kind of magic is that?" he whispered.
The serpent writhed, but its scales held strong. The arrows struck, yet failed to pierce deeply.
Leo's expression hardened. He handed the materials to Ash. "Stay here."
Ash nodded.
Leo dashed forward, closing the distance in an instant. With a powerful swing—
CLANG!
His blade barely cut through, leaving only a shallow wound. "…This thing is tough," leo muttered.
Behind him, the girl continued firing relentlessly, her movements flawless. But suddenly, the snake turned toward her and lunged, its fangs dripping with deadly venom.
She reacted instantly, dodging at the last possible moment. The fangs struck a tree behind her.
CRACK!
The wood blackened instantly from the venom.
Then the serpent paused. Its body coiled slightly before, slowly, it retreated back into the forest.
Leo exhaled deeply. "I thought that was going to be worse…"
He walked toward the girl.
"Hey, can I know your name?" he asked.
The girl suddenly dropped her guard, breathing heavily.
"Waaah… I thought I was going to die in that snake's bite…" she said dramatically.
Leo blinked in surprise.
She's… not what I expected.
Then she smiled brightly.
"I'm Resha… Resha Bareign."
Leo smiled back. "Nice to meet you, Resha. Thanks for helping us. I thought we were done for."
"No problem!" she said cheerfully. "But I have to go now. Bye!"
"Wait—" leo called out, but she was already gone.
"…I didn't even say my name and even get to ask about her power," he muttered.
Leo returned to Ash, and the two decided to head back.
They stopped by the old man's house and showed the proof of their hunt.
The old man gratefully gave them their reward.
The sun was already lowering.
The dirt road stretched endlessly ahead.
As they walked back toward the kingdom, leo supported Ash while walking.
Ash glanced at him, his brows slightly furrowed.
"Do you know her name?"
Leo didn't answer immediately.
For a moment, he just kept walking, his eyes fixed on the long dirt road ahead. The wind brushed past them gently, carrying the faint scent of dry earth and distant fields.
Then, a small smile formed on his lips.
"Yeah…" he said quietly.
He lifted his gaze slightly, as if recalling something important.
"Her name is Resha Bareign."
The name lingered in the air.
Ash slowed his steps just a little, his expression shifting as he repeated it in his mind.
"…Resha Bareign," he murmured.
He looked up, eyes narrowing slightly in thought.
"I think I've heard that name before."
Leo turned his head, a hint of curiosity appearing on his face.
"Where?"
Ash scratched the back of his head, letting out a soft exhale.
"I don't know… I've definitely heard it somewhere…" he said, his voice uncertain. "But I can't remember where."
Silence followed.
Only the sound of their footsteps remained, pressing softly against the dirt path.
The wind picked up again, sweeping across the road. Grains of dust lifted into the air, drifting past them like fading memories.
For a brief moment, everything felt… distant.
Familiar.
Like something from long ago, just out of reach a childhood feeling.