Gara lifted his head and looked at Leif, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. He thought back to the aura he'd felt from the young man earlier—so intense, so refined. Leif's Inherited Story, [Lightning Dance], was undeniably powerful. Stronger even than Gara's own Original, [Root of All Things].
'It makes sense,' Gara admitted to himself. 'He's at the peak of F Rank. I'm only approaching it… And that Inherited's original rank is… hah! SSS?!'
He let out a small, helpless laugh and shook his head in disbelief.
Then his gaze shifted back to Leif, who remained seated, calm as ever, munching on another square of chocolate. Gara took a breath, steadied himself, and finally spoke.
"Ahm… you can go on now. Thanks for waiting."
Leif smiled lightly, "Don't mention it. I told you you'd be mindblown. I expected you to need a moment."
Then he picked up where he'd left off, his voice even and steady.
"As I was saying, I'm this person's Champion. And you… you represent the [First One Out]. What exactly that means, even I'm not entirely sure yet. He said we're still too weak to understand the full picture—or to even participate in what's coming."
Gara blinked. "Wait, participate in what?"
Leif nodded, as if expecting the question. "There are… others. This whole thing seems to be some kind of game, or maybe a competition—one that takes place between the topmost beings of the Story World."
He leaned forward slightly. "And no—I'm not talking about figures like the [Gold Emperor], or the [Grey Rose], or even the [Last Emperor]. I mean beings on a whole different level. Like the [First One Out]."
Gara's eyes narrowed. "Do you know any other names? Other figures on their level?"
Leif shook his head, a trace of frustration flickering across his expression. "No. Just the [First One Out]… and the one who chose me. And as I showed you, his Story Name is blocked by the Story System. I don't know how many of them exist, how many Champions have been chosen, or if the others are even active yet."
He leaned back, folding his arms. "I don't know when the competition is supposed to start—or if it already has. I don't know what it involves, or how we're meant to 'represent' our sponsors. Everything about it is still just as murky and mysterious to me as it is to you."
Gara sighed. He had hoped the blonde-haired young man would have more answers—maybe even something solid to hold onto. But so far, it felt like every new detail just raised more questions. Still, a thought popped into his head, and he voiced it almost immediately.
"Hey... So, I can't hear the name... but what if you spelled it out? Or wrote it down? Would I be able to understand it then?"
Leif shook his head. "Not possible. I already tried it with someone else once—it didn't work. Same effect. They saw the letters, but their brain just... couldn't process it. Like the Story System scrambled it before it even reached them." He paused, then added, "Want me to prove it?"
"No need. I trust your words," Gara said, surprising even himself with how sincere he sounded. Then, without missing a beat, he followed up, "What other things do you know?"
Leif shrugged. "Not much. After he told me his name, he gave me a bit of background on the [First One Out]. Said he's supposed to be the strongest person in the entire Story World."
Gara gave a slow nod. "Yeah... same here. When I met the [First One Out], he flat-out claimed to be the strongest. I didn't believe him completely at the time—thought it was just some flair or arrogance—but after meeting Dante, and even Marcus recently... it really does seem like it's true."
Then, under his breath, almost too soft for Leif to hear, he added, "And regardless... I trust the [First One Out]. He's not the type to brag. So if he says he's the strongest... then he probably is."
Leif nodded along, then continued, "Anyway, that someone—the one who saved me—he told me about you. Said you were the [First One Out]'s Champion. Then he started listing all kinds of things about you. One of them was your Original Fragment—[Last Samurai]. I checked the Blue Trade Records later, and yeah... looks like it's a C Ranked Fragment."
Gara's jaw tensed slightly, but he gave another small nod. He didn't like having his secrets dragged into the open like this—but what could he do? If that person knew this much about him, then it was likely others did too.
'Was it the [First One Out] who told them?' he wondered, eyes narrowing slightly. 'Since he's part of this competition too… does that mean everyone's been gathering intel? Watching us?'
"He told me about your last name… and he told me about the day you met the [First One Out]," Leif said softly.
Gara didn't respond. That day... was the day everything fell apart. The day that carved the scar he still carried. It wasn't something he wanted to remember—but he never forgot it either.
Leif, sensing the silence but not backing down, continued, "Other than that, he told me I should seek you out and head to the [Rashanz] Fragment. Said I needed to get struck by the Golden Lightning."
Gara raised an eyebrow, still uncertain. "And you'll just… do it? Just like that?"
"Yeah," Leif nodded without hesitation. "He saved my life, helped me when I had nothing. He's also… insanely strong. So if he tells me something will help me grow, I'm gonna believe him. That's why I trust these pills."
He held out the two pills again—the shimmering golden one and the calm blue one. One was supposed to allow his body to survive the Golden Lightning. The other was meant to block all other lightning types while climbing the Mountain of Lightning. Risky? Yes. But calculated.
Then, as if they were never there, the pills vanished into thin air, slipping back into whatever system or story-space Leif had stored them in. Instead, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out two small tickets—deep red with white frames, each stamped with a tiny train design and the letter D.
D Ranked Tickets to the Final Express.
Gara's eyes went wide in disbelief. "Wait—hold on. You have two of them??"
Leif grinned and nodded. "Yep. I'll give you one after we're done with the [Rashanz] Fragment. The other, obviously, is for me."
"You're planning to board the Final Express too?" Gara asked, still shocked. D Rank tickets weren't easy to come by, especially not for F Rankers like them.
"Yeah. One of the other things he told me was that I had to do, was to board the Final Express with you. Apparently, there's a reason we're supposed to work together in the future."
He paused, then quoted the mysterious benefactor directly: "Treat Gara like the brother your mother never gave birth to."
Gara blinked. He honestly didn't know how to feel about that. It was oddly personal… and strangely comforting. But also kind of weird.
Still, he couldn't deny it—the man who said that had strength, knowledge, and influence. He knew about the [First One Out]. And if anyone could help Gara reach him… it would be someone like that.
'If the [First One Out] is still alive… then this guy might be the key.'
Leif slipped the two tickets back into his coat, then looked at Gara seriously. "I've got one final thing to show you… After that, I don't have any more information to offer."
Gara didn't speak. He simply nodded, staying quiet. He already knew he'd need hours—maybe days—to fully process everything Leif had dumped on him, but right now, he wasn't going to interrupt. If there was still something left, he wanted to see it.
Leif didn't explain it with words. Instead, he let out a sharp exhale—and then his aura burst out.
It was still F Rank.
And yet, the pressure that slammed into Gara made his eyes widen in alarm. His instincts screamed to react, to show his own aura in return, but Leif immediately raised a calming hand.
"I apologize," he said quickly. "I should've warned you. But this… this is the thing I wanted you to see."
As the aura expanded, Gara realized instantly—this wasn't the [Lightning Dance].
There was no sign of the telltale blue lightning that crackled around Leif when he used it earlier. No static, no sparks. Instead, dark shadows twisted and swirled around him. Not wild, but smooth—fluid. Controlled. The shadows clung to him like a cloak, distorting the light in the room, almost veiling him from view.
And then it revealed itself. The story name emerged with a whisper of power.
[Masked Threat]
Gara stared, his brows lifting. "Huh… That's… wow. It's somehow even stronger than your Inherited one."
Leif nodded, calm. "Yeah. Because it's mine. I train with it more. Feels like an extension of me."
That made sense. Original Stories were hard to create, but if you managed to forge one that suited you, its potential could easily surpass most Borrowed or even some Inherited Stories.
Gara tilted his head slightly, thinking, then asked, "Why not merge the two? [Lightning Dance] and [Masked Threat]—if you did, the power boost would be insane."
"True," Leif said without hesitation. "And I do plan to. Just not yet. Once I hit D Rank, I'll merge them."
Gara immediately understood. Merging two stories too early, before they matured, risked wasting their potential. But if he waited until D Rank…
Of course.
Once someone reached D Rank, their story didn't just grow—it evolved. The Aspect awakened.
From F to E Rank, players only needed cores to level up. But from E to D, that changed. To ascend, you had to create your Aspect—an embodiment of your story's essence. A manifestation of your truth.
And once you had that… merging two strong stories could lead to something terrifying.
Gara exhaled slowly. 'He really is preparing for something far beyond the Mountain of Lightning…'
He looked up at Leif. "Makes sense, yeah."
Leif gave a short nod and fell back into silence.
Gara didn't speak either. Not for several minutes. He just sat there, eyes a little distant, mind completely caught in the whirlpool of everything he had just learned. He had come to this meeting expecting a crazy person, or a fan, or someone just bored, but this?
This was something else entirely.
'There's a game between entities at the peak of strength like the [First One Out]… and somehow, I got implicated into it… A game about what, and for what purpose? I don't know.'
His hands tensed slightly, resting on his knees.
'And… why did he choose me? Is that why he gave me the Geru Sword? As some sort of prize or weapon for becoming his Champion?'
He shook his head. The warm, almost nostalgic image he always carried of the [First One Out] flickered for a moment. It wasn't shattered, but it wasn't as steady anymore either.
'He could be lying about everything… That's an option too. But I just can't see it being the case. I don't know… his personality… Sure, that too could be fabricated, but why go through all that just to fool me? A mere F Ranker?'
He stole a glance at Leif again. The guy had two stories. Two. One of them was an SSS-ranked Inherited Story capped at F. The other was Original and somehow stronger.
In other words, he was already stronger than Gara—and more importantly, had no real reason to play tricks on him. If he wanted, he could've just taken what he needed by force.
'He's even stronger than me, so it's not like I could stop him if it came to a fight… And being an F Ranker… I just don't think he's lying. But then… believing him means—'
He let out a short exhale.
'—Huh! I don't know if I should be excited about all this or scared.'
His eyes drifted toward the ceiling.
'It's what I wanted… right? Thrill, craziness… It's what [Root of All Things] needs to grow stronger… Only by doing insane things can I gather an audience to watch my journey. And only through that can I break through the barriers and reach the peak of strength the Story World has to offer.'
Gara sighed. This was too big. Too many moving parts. Too many unknowns.
For now, it was better to focus on something simple. Something clear.
So, he turned back to Leif and asked, "Can I tell all of this to Dante? Or others, for that matter?"
Leif nodded… then shook his head.
And said nothing else.
He had done something similar earlier—one of those frustrating half-answers. But this time, Gara felt like he understood.
Still, just to confirm, he voiced it aloud.
"Do you mean it's fine to tell Dante, but not anyone else?"
Leif nodded. "Yes. The person who chose me to represent him told me about Dante, the A Ranked holder of [Hiro Hunter]. He said he also plays a role in all of this, but when I asked if he was a Champion too, he said no."
Gara was about to ask what role Dante played, but Leif continued before he could.
"And he didn't specify a role for Dante. Only said that he's important, and that it's okay to share information with him and even rely on him."
"Huh… Dante, huh? Guess it kinda makes sense… A little." Gara leaned back slightly, brows furrowed. "Among everyone I asked about the [First One Out], only Dante seemed to know him… In fact, us two knowing about him was what brought us together in the first place."
He let out a short laugh, more tired than amused.
"He never said why or how he knew the [First One Out], no matter how many times I asked. Every time, it's the same thing—'You're not strong enough,' or some other vague nonsense."
Gara scoffed in frustration, and Leif took that moment to bring up something else.
"There is another person who knows about the [First One Out], though… In the [Ice Ninja] Fragment—"
"Marcus, right?" Gara interrupted, eyes narrowing. "It's crazy, isn't it? He knows about the [First One Out] through his father… and he even has a D Ranked Ticket to the Final Express. Almost like he's some sort of Champion too… Wait—" His eyes widened slightly. "Could his father be one of the others, then?"
"Possible," Leif replied with a shrug. "We can't say for sure at the moment."
He then added, "I already tried to look him up but nothing came up, his name and picture didn't get me any results. He's a mystery for now... Which makes him even more suspicious. We can try to talk to him and understand more once we end up meeting him at the Town of No Return in two months."
Gara stared at him for a moment, watching the calm, determined look on Leif's face. Then he sighed, letting some of the tension in his shoulders go.
"You really plan to stick around, don't you?"
Leif nodded.
Gara didn't know how to feel about that. He had pretty much gained a friend he never asked for—and one he didn't even like all that much.
The only person Gara could honestly call a friend in the Story World so far was Jack.
His coworker. The holder of the D Ranked Story, [Two Swords]. Jack was always there for him, always believed he could do it. The kind of guy who'd cheer you on even when no one else did, like a one-man audience shouting from the bleachers while the rest of the world turned its back.
Well… there was Dante too.
But Dante was more like… ugh. Gara didn't know how to describe that guy. He sounded like an annoying older brother.
But that included "brother" in it.
He shook his head quickly—giving Dante credit was hard for him, even when he deserved it.
Instead, his thoughts shifted to the others he considered close.
There weren't many.
Sure, a few people were kind to him. Jack's wife, Elena, for example. She always treated him like a younger brother, never once looking down on him for being a lower Rank.
Then there was Lavia… but that girl was weird. Too weird. He decided not to think of her anymore.
Who else?
Marcus maybe?
Gara hoped so. They hadn't known each other long, but there was something about Marcus that felt grounded, real. They both had their own crazy dreams—one wanted to be the strongest, the other the greatest Reciter in the Story World.
And crazy dreams had a way of bringing crazy people together.
And now, he was pretty much forced to befriend Leif—and add him to the small, tightly kept list of people he dared call "friend."
Well… not forced exactly. No one was holding a blade to his neck.
But it just wasn't in Gara's nature to journey with someone for long, to fight alongside them, share food, risk their lives, and not end up calling them a friend.
To do all that and stay distant felt like a waste.
At least, that's what he believed.
He shook his head and spoke again, "You're gonna stay here? At the Red Light Inn for the whole time?"
Leif nodded once more, then added, "I don't really have anywhere else to go. Unless you do… which, I already know you don't."
"True… Actually, you might be having it better than me. I've only got a small room Dante offered and whatever regular food comes with it. By the way, how do you even have so many Cores? Are you secretly rich or something?"
Leif smiled at that—a rare expression for someone usually so quiet. "I am rich, actually. Because of my… clan. And the person who picked me to represent him."
"Figures," Gara muttered. "But then, why haven't you leveled up? You could've hit E Rank already—maybe for both of your stories."
"I could have," Leif admitted, "but I don't want to just throw Cores at the Story System and brute force my way up. I want to rank up the hard way—by doing things no one else dares to do. Sure, spending Cores is fast, but the power you get from that can't even begin to compare to the kind of growth you get when your story evolves naturally."
He paused, then added, "Besides… the person who chose me told me I should use the Golden Lightning to rank up. So there's that too."
"Makes sense, makes sense. I actually like that method… It's super crazy, but kind of worth it," Gara said, nodding to himself. "Anyway… about guiding you through the Mountain of Lightning—can you explain that a bit more?"
Leif answered plainly, "Once I get struck by the Golden Lightning, I'll be weakened for a few minutes. I won't be able to defend myself while I'm trying to absorb it into [Lightning Dance] and push it to E Rank. That's where you come in—I'll need someone to keep the nearby monsters off me."
Gara snorted. "Ha… So you hired me? An F Ranker… to protect you from monsters inside an SS Ranked Fragment? Are you brain damaged or something?"
"That was rude. My brain works fine," Leif replied, visibly annoyed before continuing. "The Fragment is SS Rank, yes, but the monsters in that specific zone are only F Rank. Some reach E Rank, but since you have an Original Story, and as long as you try, you should be able to handle them."
"Hmmm… Are you sure about that?"
"You can check the Blue Trade Records. Info on the [Rashanz] Fragment is public and easy to access."
"Yeah, but I don't wanna waste my Green Cores. Not all of us are walking banks like you."
"If Cores are the problem, don't worry—I'll cover the cost. I'll give you three hundred Green Cores for the escort. If things end up more dangerous than expected, we can renegotiate once we're out. And of course, there's the D Ranked Ticket to the Final Express."
Gara gave him a long look, then raised a brow. "But isn't that Ticket going to me either way?"
Leif shook his head. "No. The person who gave it to me was very clear: I can only hand it over if you protect me inside the [Rashanz] Fragment. Otherwise, I'm not allowed to give it to you."
"Tsk… Figures." Gara leaned back, thinking for a moment. "You've got a good deal. But I want something else. You already know my goal—and my story name, right? So, can you guess what I'm gonna ask?"
"You want me to teach you Lightning Techniques?" Leif narrowed his eyes.
"And Shadow Techniques too, if you know any," Gara added without hesitation.
"Yes to lightning, no to shadow," Leif replied.
"Deal," Gara said, immediately.
"Deal it is, then," Leif confirmed with a nod before letting out a deep sigh. It was the first sign that this whole thing had been weighing on him for a while. Only now—after Gara finally agreed to guide him through the [Rashanz] Fragment—did he seem to relax, even if just a little.
"So… when do you wanna go?" Gara asked.
"As soon as possible, of course," Leif replied.
"Alright… give me three days to get ready and prep for the Fragment. That should be enough. In three days, we'll take a bus to the Golden Space and dive into the [Rashanz] Fragment. Just to be clear—you're talking about entering the real Fragment, right?"
Leif nodded. "Yes. Playing through its Storyline would take too long. Only one of them even features the Mountain of Lightning, and that part shows up halfway through. We're not nearly strong enough to take on a Storyline from an SS Ranked Fragment—even if it's scaled down to our level."
Gara nodded along. He agreed completely.
He'd actually tried once, back when he was still new to the Story World. He barely lasted an hour. Didn't even make it past the opening scene of the Storyline before dying. The memory made him chuckle.
He still remembered how confidently he'd bragged the night before about conquering [Rashanz], an SS Ranked Fragment, and how he'd return a hero.
Instead, he came crawling back the next morning in defeat.
Strangely enough, no one laughed at him. They actually praised him for the attempt—called him bold, fearless, maybe even inspiring.
Gara wasn't sure if that was a compliment… or just proof he was an idiot.
The red-haired young man finally stood up and took a deep breath before extending a hand toward Leif. The blond-haired young man stared at it for a brief second, then reached out and took it.
They shook hands in silence, nodding at each other in mutual understanding.
"I should head back for now," Gara said. "Let's talk more tomorrow. Give me your account tag on the Blue Trade Records—I'll send you a message when it's time to meet up."
Leif opened his Story System. Unlike Dante's sleek blue interface or Gara's standard golden one, his was black.
The base model of the Story System menu came in gold, but some players liked to personalize it with other colors. It was a paid feature, and Gara wasn't the type to spend money on things he considered unnecessary.
With that, Gara left Leif's apartment and stepped out of the Red Light Inn. Night had fallen over the White Clouds, casting the floating district in a serene, almost dreamlike glow. Lanterns bobbed gently in the air, their soft golden light reflecting off the smooth white stone of the bridges and buildings.
The ever-present mist curled lazily around the railings, and distant silhouettes drifted across the suspended walkways, casting long shadows under the moonlight. Above, the stars shimmered like scattered fragments of old stories, twinkling across the vast, open sky.
Gara wandered through the quiet streets, his thoughts drifting with each step. The next few days weighed heavily on his mind. His life had changed—radically, suddenly. Just one conversation, and everything was different.
He had a D Ranked Ticket to the Final Express now—something most F Rankers wouldn't even dream of touching. He had learned more about the mysterious [First One Out] than he ever expected to. He had gained an ally, even if reluctantly.
And soon, he was going to step back into a Fragment he had once sworn never to enter again until he reached at least A Rank.
—End of Chapter.
-------
[Blue Trade Record – Messaging Interface]
Gara: Yo, u still alive?
Leif: Yes.
Gara: Ok cool, just checking. Was like 80% sure u got eaten by a vending machine or something.
Leif: That is not a thing that happens.
Gara: Bro this is the Story World. Anything can happen. I once saw a guy get trapped in a teacup for 3 days
Leif: Skill issue.
Gara: Ok lightning boy, don't come cryin to me when a toaster tries to recruit you into its gym.
Leif: I'd hear the toaster out.
Gara: …fair.
Leif: Meeting tomorrow. Don't be late.
Gara: Define "late".
Leif: Anything that requires me to wait.
Gara: U really out here speedrunning friendship huh?
Leif: I'd prefer to speedrun this mission and never speak again.
Gara: Wow,🥲love u too!
Leif: Unsent: "I'd rather fight a dragon."