The pale yellow light of the Teleport Gate flashed and then extinguished.
Ren and Kirito stepped out, immediately enveloped by the solemn, heavy atmosphere of the main settlement of the fifth floor: Karluin.
This place was built from the remnants of an ancient city, located in the southern area. The air was not as light as the lower floors. The bustling flow of people moving between the old streets gave the feeling of traversing a timeline that had been frozen for thousands of years.
Karluin was a strange combination of life and ruins. Ancient buildings, colored by dark stone and moss, enveloped a massive, imposing ancient castle in the center. It was a labyrinth of history and unexplored mysteries.
Beneath their feet, the gray-blue cobblestone streets were faded and cold. On the outer edges, makeshift leaning brown brick columns were erected, like old soldiers standing guard reluctantly, just awaiting their final collapse. This was the promised land for treasure hunters and artifact seekers.
"…It feels like stepping into a colossal mausoleum," Ren muttered, his eyes quickly scanning the crumbling architecture.
Ren was encased in his Onyx armor. His aquamarine eyes quickly gathered information about player density and escape points.
"As long as they don't dig up anything too terrible," Kirito replied, his tone reverting to a cold professionalism. "We will head to the rendezvous point first."
Ren nodded slightly, then followed Kirito. They walked along a narrow corridor, the sunlight illuminating the rough brick walls. Ren glanced over each area: small, half-dug niches, wooden shelves stacked with tools, piles of dusty debris. Curiosity still pulsed in his chest.
"Has anyone… actually dug up anything valuable here yet?" Ren asked. His voice was low, but his curiosity was evident.
"Yes," Kirito answered, his pace steady. "A few artifacts. They sell quite well to merchants who love old things."
Then he added in a softer voice, "Actually, they dig up a lot. But mostly just old coins. Low exchange rate. Not worth much."
Ren faintly murmured "uh," his eyes still scanning, as if visualizing countless layers of earth being turned over.
Kirito's steps paused for a beat before continuing. "Also… there is an underground labyrinth right below here. Asuna and I went down once."
Ren turned to look, just in time to see the corner of Kirito's lip twitch slightly, as if an unexpected memory had surfaced.
"We encountered a ghost down there," Kirito said, his eyes glinting with something both amusing and eerie. "I'm not sure whose consciousness it clung to… but Asuna screamed so loud I thought she was going to fly straight through the ceiling."
Ren blinked. 'So… ghosts are real…'
As that thought flashed through his mind, a section of his spine immediately chilled.
"So… are you two okay?" Ren asked, his voice lower than normal. "I mean… no one got possessed or cursed by anything, right?"
As if he had just imagined a ghost standing right behind him, a thin cold sensation ran from the back of Ren's neck down his spine, making his scalp tingle. He quickly glanced back—nothing, just a slightly deserted and quiet path—but it felt as if his heart had momentarily stopped.
Kirito let out a soft laugh and shook his head.
"Of course not."
He raised his hand to illustrate, the motion neat and familiar as if he had done it many times. "They're immune to physical damage, but they're not invincible. You just need to apply holy water from the church to the sword blade…"
Kirito made a motion of swiping a line along the edge of an invisible sword.
"…or just throw the holy water bottle straight at the ghost's face, and you're done."
The two continued walking and talking, their footsteps softly echoing on the stone floor. It was mainly Ren asking, and Kirito patiently answering. The questions Ren had harbored for a long time were one by one resolved in this conversation.
"So… how do you allocate attribute points?" Ren opened his status panel, the number 6 free points blinking before his eyes. "I'm hesitating. I want to reference others' approaches before using them."
Kirito glanced over, then shrugged, as if the question was too familiar.
"It depends on the fighting style," he said. "I put 2 points into STR, one point into AGI. Sometimes VIT."
Ren nodded lightly, making a mental note.
"Asuna is different," Kirito continued. "She usually puts 2 points into AGI, 1 point into STR. Sometimes she switches to VIT if the situation requires defense."
Kirito waved his hand, his voice calmer.
"Don't worry too much. Stats can be supplemented by equipment, passive skills, and special items. Points are not the only determining factor." Then he tilted his head and looked at Ren. "I think you're similar to Asuna's style, leaning towards speed, right?"
Before Ren could answer, Kirito slightly frowned, as if something had just crossed his memory.
He recalled the sight of Ren fighting in the great hall of Yofel Castle.
Ren's shadow darted like a silver bullet. A sword strike that no one could keep up with… no… it was multiple different strikes. Kirito at that time couldn't even catch the trajectory, let alone prepare a defense. And the damage… even though it only flashed for a moment, it was so much that it felt like the system had made an error.
Even though it was a hit on a weak point.
Even though Ren appeared from a blind spot, striking unexpectedly.
Kirito still couldn't forget. He couldn't forget that day.
He wanted to ask. He wanted to know what skill Ren used, where he learned it, and how he achieved that speed.
…But Kirito pursed his lips and swallowed the question.
A skill like that shouldn't be easy to obtain. It might be a unique skill. The price to achieve it might not be small. And more importantly… Kirito believed in himself.
He would learn more special skills than that.
Soon.
No need to rush.
…..
The rendezvous location this time was Mananarena Village, a small frontier village situated on the edge of the labyrinth leading straight up to the floor boss room. From here, by continuing to move and explore deeper levels, players would find the boss room. This was why this place was becoming a hotspot, almost entirely occupied by the two guilds setting up camps, standing guard, scouting… and looking at each other with deep suspicion.
Ren and Kirito set off early in the morning, when the sun just began to creep above the trees. The cold wind hit their faces, the thin morning gusts enough to keep the two awake. Kirito opened the map, tracing a series of shortcuts, winding small paths, cutting through thin forests, skirting along crumbling stone walls, avoiding the crowded and easily traceable main route.
"This is the fastest route," Kirito said, then looked at Ren with trust in his eyes.
Ren's face hardened; he understood what that look meant: 'Fastest but certainly not the safest route…'
They began to traverse the first forest. Sunlight dappled the ground; dry branches snapped underfoot. The wind carried the scent of rotten moss and moisture; both their tracking skills indicated a significant number of monsters nearby. Ren said nothing, walking close behind Kirito, his eyes constantly sweeping all four sides.
Only a few minutes passed when the ground suddenly shook slightly. From behind the bushes, a horde of monsters led by an Elite Monster burst out like an arrow tearing through the wind. Kirito reacted first, drawing his sword, the cold wind whipping his black cloak.
Ren appeared immediately after, a sharp "swoosh," the speed so fast that Kirito saw almost nothing but a shadow. The elite monster and the horde it brought were swept away by the two of them in just over ten minutes.
A few hundred meters further, just as Kirito was about to sigh in relief, they fell into a narrow ravine, and at that moment, a low growl echoing against the rock wall rang out. A Miniboss blocked their path. A creature almost entirely covered in rock armor, its red eyes like embers waiting to ignite.
Kirito gritted his teeth, "…My shortcut is truly unlucky today."
Ren didn't reply. He charged forward, narrowly dodging an attack, his footsteps tapping lightly on the stone like a rapid drumbeat. Kirito didn't intend to be outdone; both simultaneously plunged in, attacking the miniboss from two sides.
After a somewhat leisurely fight, the fragments of rock armor on the monster's back were sent flying, spinning in the air before falling to the ground as pixel dust. Kirito joined the attack in the final moment, the two coordinating without exchanging a word.
When the miniboss exploded into a pale red light, Kirito exhaled sharply, resting his hands on his knees.
"If I were alone, I would have had to detour back to the main road."
"Yeah," Ren replied simply, but his eyes still scanned the surroundings as if fearing another horde of monsters might appear right next to them.
They continued through the forgotten small paths. Kirito's shortcut led Ren beneath a large stone ledge, across a damp old forest, and then along a winding stream bank. At times they had to jump over fallen trees, at times step on slippery mossy roots, and sometimes hold their breath because a high-level monster horde was sleeping right by the roadside.
Each step was like testing their concentration.
Each turn was like probing whether they were determined enough to enter Mananarena.
When the sun reached its zenith and the light became intensely white, the thin smoke from makeshift campfires finally became visible ahead. The murmur of voices, the clanging of metal, the low sound of arguments… all blended into an atmosphere that was tense yet vibrant.
Ren and Kirito set foot in Mananarena just as the noon break began.
Not early. Not late.
As if every rushed path, every dangerous encounter… had led them precisely to this moment.
"Next time… um… let someone else lead, please…" Ren looked at Kirito with a resentful gaze.