When the corpse of the Bloodthirsty Boar King dissolved into a final flash of white light, silence fell over the canyon.
Only the ragged sound of two people breathing remained, mingling with the mournful whistling of the wind through the rocks.
Kiriya leaned against the stone wall, staring at the still-warm "Tusk of the Boar King" resting in his palm. Its metallic texture seemed to retain the dying tremor of the Boss.
[System Prompt: Main Quest "Hunt the Bloodthirsty Boar King" complete. You may now return to Green Town to deliver the quest. ]
The chime in his mind pulled him back. He turned his head toward Lina. She was bent over, carefully wiping the blood from her longsword. Her silver-white hair spilled down, veiling half her face.
Only the faint tremor of her fingers around the hilt betrayed the toll on her body. A normal reaction to exhaustion—yet it reminded Kiriya of the unwavering determination with which she had charged at the Boar King's eye moments ago.
"Your hand… It's alright now?" he couldn't help but ask.
Lina lifted her head. Fatigue still lingered in her ice-blue eyes, but they curved with the hint of a smile. "Much better. Thank you."
She flexed her wrist, the joint she had sprained earlier now moving freely—evidence of the Medium Health Potion's effect. "Your Phantom Slash… your targeting of the weak point was incredibly precise."
"Your Frost Thrust timing was even more critical," Kiriya replied without his usual sharpness.
Without Lina's perfectly timed freezes, he never would have had the chance to unleash a high-damage strike. This kind of 1 + 1 > 2 synergy was something he had never once experienced in solo play.
They quietly gathered the spoils. Beyond the quest-required tusk, the Boss had dropped an Uncommon Frost Bracers. Its attributes read: -15% Frost skill cooldown.
A piece made for Lina. She didn't decline, simply swapped out her Superior-tier bracers with practiced ease. Pale-blue mana light immediately flowed around her wrist.
"What's your plan next?" Lina tucked the last copper coin into her pack and looked up at Kiriya.
"Turn in the quest, then grind the Level 16 'Shadow Spiders,'" he answered, the route already part of his planned progression. "You?"
"The same." Her reply surprised Kiriya. "But the spider nests are swarms. Solo efficiency is terrible." She hesitated briefly, then met his eyes with a trace of subtle expectation. "On the Green Town notice board, there's a Level 20 dungeon—the 'Abandoned Mine.' Rumor says it drops Pitsteel Armor, which greatly boosts physical defense. Should we… team up and give it a try?"
"Party?" Kiriya's brows furrowed instinctively.
The word was a needle, puncturing the fragile warmth of cooperation he had just begun to feel. Memories rushed back unbidden—Berserkers stealing loot, Mages misfiring their spells, Priests disconnecting at critical moments. The word "trouble" hovered bitterly on his lips.
Sensing his hesitation, Lina quickly added, "I'm not asking for a permanent party. It's just—this dungeon needs teamwork. The mine is full of mechanical traps. Go alone and you'll trigger a one-shot kill in no time. With two, we can cover each other."
She pulled a yellowed piece of parchment from her pack and spread it between them. "This is a dungeon guide I gathered. It says one person must trigger the traps while the other capitalizes on the opening. Your Clones… they're perfect for the job."
Kiriya's gaze swept over the parchment. Red ink marked hazards like Falling Rock Traps and Poison Gas Tunnels. The final Boss, Mine Lord, had a skill description: "Mass Taunt." That meant a tank was essential. Lina's Frost Shield was the obvious choice.
He couldn't deny it—the proposal was tempting. A Level 20 dungeon offered triple the experience of field monsters, and the gear drops were top-tier for this stage. More than that, the mention of trap mechanisms stirred a curiosity in him. Perhaps his Clones could evolve into tools beyond simple combat.
"And besides…" Lina's voice softened, carrying a rare honesty. "If not for you just now, I would've lost a level. Consider this… repaying the favor?"
The words struck like a stone rippling through still water. Kiriya felt the rigid pillars of his "rule of solitude" begin to loosen. He remembered her eyes in the Boar King's pursuit—unyielding even in despair.
He remembered standing back-to-back, evading the Boss's AoE. He remembered her expression when he handed her the bracers—not a trace of greed.
This white-haired knight was nothing like the "troublesome teammates" etched into his past.
"How do we split loot?" he asked—the one question that so often sowed conflict.
"By need," Lina replied crisply. "Defense gear goes to me, offense gear to you. Materials and coins are split evenly. If both need it, we roll the dice. And to prevent disputes—full recording. No tricks." She even opened the system's Party Distribution Agreement interface, inputting every rule, then pushed it toward him.
Staring at the clear clauses on the screen, Kiriya suddenly felt his old suspicions absurd. He had been rejecting new possibilities because of shadows long gone, forgetting that games were meant for more than isolation.
"…Fine."
The word surprised even himself. But when he saw the sudden brightness in Lina's eyes, he couldn't help but feel this choice wasn't a mistake.
[System Prompt: Player Lina has invited you to form a Party. Accept?]
When he tapped "Confirm," a faint green light linked them, displaying the "Temporary Party" emblem. A new window appeared in the corner of his vision, showing Lina's HP and MP in real-time. A function he had never once used—until now.
"Then let's turn in the quest first, and stock up on antidotes and torches," Lina said, her voice carrying unmistakable excitement. Even the way she packed her bag was lighter. "The mine is dark, and 'Venom Spiders' lurk inside. We'll need plenty of antidotes."
"Yeah." Kiriya nodded, following her toward the canyon's exit. Sunlight streamed in through the gap, stretching their shadows long across the ground—overlapping as though they had never been apart.
On the road back, they passed a few returning players. Seeing the party status over their heads, the players exchanged surprised whispers.
"Isn't that the Lone Swordsman? He's actually at a party?"
"And with the White-Haired Knight? Didn't they just meet?"
"The Abandoned Mine's brutal. I bet they won't last long."
The chatter lingered, but Kiriya no longer cared. He looked at Lina walking ahead, her stride steady and light. Her silver cloak fluttered like a small banner in the wind.
"Teaming up… maybe it isn't so bad after all," he murmured, quickening his pace to match hers.
Green Town's silhouette grew clear ahead. Around the notice board, players clustered in discussion about the Abandoned Mine.
Kiriya and Lina crossed the stone bridge at the town's entrance, sunlight washing over them. Warm gold traced the outlines of their figures, gilding the start of a journey taken not alone, but together.
He didn't know how long this party would last, nor what awaited in the mine's depths. But something inside him had already shifted. The creed of solitude was no longer absolute. In its place stirred the glimmer of something new—something alive.