Dawn's light filtered through the gaps of the blinds, cutting several bright bands across the floor of Kiriya's room.
He opened his eyes. The brief sleep hadn't fully driven away the fatigue clouding his mind, but his body had mostly recovered.
Last night's brutal fight—and the short, almost surreal conversation with Lina afterward—flashed through his mind like a strange montage.
He sat up, his gaze instinctively drifting to the phone on his nightstand. The screen was dark.
A faint, almost imperceptible sense of expectation fizzled into disappointment—so subtle even he barely noticed it. He shook his head, as if to cast off the odd feeling, and got up to prepare a simple breakfast.
Just as he was pouring milk into his cereal, his phone lit up with a crisp notification tone.
[Lina: Morning! How did you sleep? (☀️️)]
It was followed by a cute sticker of a hamster holding a coffee cup.
Kiriya's hand froze mid-pour. The corner of his lips curved slightly without him realizing. He set the milk down and picked up the phone.
[Kiriya: Morning. Not bad. You?]
He hesitated for a moment, then, mimicking her, added a simple sun emoji [☀️]at the end. For him, this already counted as a monumental effort at "being social."
[Lina: Just woke up! Feeling good. When do you usually log in? It's vacation time anyway, so I've got plenty of time.]
Vacation? The word caught Kiriya's attention.
So, she probably had a job or school in real life and was simply on break now.
This tiny piece of real-life information made her presence on the other end of the screen feel more tangible.
[Kiriya: One hour. Got some gear to deal with first.]
[Lina: Alright. I'll log in an hour later then. East Gate Plaza?]
Her tone was as crisp and efficient as ever.
[Kiriya: OK.]
[Lina: See you soon.]
The conversation ended for now. Kiriya stared at the short reply on the screen—so simple, yet it perfectly matched the image of the cool-headed, shield-bearing tactician he knew in-game. That consistency and efficiency… felt strangely comforting.
He quickly finished his breakfast and logged into the game.
Morning sunlight still bathed the bustling city of Dawn.
Kiriya first made a stop at the blacksmith's shop, where he used the loot from last night's battle—several decent enhancement stones and materials—to sharpen his [Obsidian Sword] and bought a few basic healing potions to replenish his stock.
Once everything was in order, he strolled toward East Gate Plaza.
There were still five minutes left before their appointed time.
He calculated it precisely, leaning casually against a stone pillar at the plaza's edge, arms folded, eyes sweeping the crowd with practiced sharpness—an old habit from his solo days.
He analyzed equipment, levels, and possible behavior patterns of both players and NPCs, taking in the environment in a single glance.
Almost exactly on time, a familiar figure emerged from the crowd with steady, purposeful strides—Lina had logged in.
She had replaced her slightly battered old pauldrons with a pair of sleek, silver-white shoulder guards that gleamed with cold light.
Together with her radiant [Guardian's Oath] shield, her new look gave her a sharper, more commanding presence.
Her snow-white hair was tied back neatly. When she saw him, she merely dipped her head in a slight nod, her eyes as sharp and focused as ever.
"Kept you waiting?" Her voice was calm and clear, carrying a quiet reliability.
"Right on time." Kiriya straightened, his gaze lingering briefly on her new gear. "New equipment?"
"Mm. Yesterday's rewards were just enough to trade for it. Good stat boost—more importantly, doesn't hinder movement."
Her reply was concise as she checked her sword and shield one last time, making sure everything was ready.
"You ready on your end?"
"Always." Kiriya nodded and sent her a party invite.
[Player Kiriya has invited you to join the party.]
Lina accepted without a moment's hesitation.
Seeing their names and health bars lined up side by side on the party interface felt like something solid and official—more than a temporary alliance in the heat of battle.
This was a deliberate decision to travel and fight together.
"Let's go. To the Silent Gorge." Kiriya adjusted his sword belt and headed for the open East Gate.
Lina naturally matched his pace, their footsteps falling in perfect sync.
The morning light stretched their tall silhouettes along the ancient stone road, casting them into clean, sharp outlines.
"I looked up some info," Lina said as they walked, her tone sounding like a tactical briefing.
"The Wind claw Panthers in the canyon have strong ambush instincts, but their startup motions are obvious.
The Gorge howlers' long-range wind projectiles have clear trajectories but come with a knockback effect—we'll need to either dodge or take them out first.
Also, the drop rate for [StarForce Steel] is indeed as low as you said. The best approach is to clear the fixed patrol routes for efficiency."
"Got it. You control the defense rhythm and mark priority targets. I'll handle the rest." Kiriya replied without missing a beat.
Such smooth, efficient exchanges were exactly to his liking.
"Understood. I'll keep aggro steady and make sure you've got space to deal damage."
Lina nodded, her hand tightening slightly around the shield and sword, a focused gleam in her ice-blue eyes.
"Then let's go."
The road leading to the Silent Gorge stretched straight across the open plains beyond the East Gate.
But they hadn't gone far when a noise unlike the usual monster-zone chatter drew their attention.
Ahead, near a circular arena, players were packed three or four rows deep.
Shouts, cheers, gasps, and sharp intakes of breath filled the air.
"What's going on over there?" Lina frowned slightly, looking toward the noisy gathering.
Kiriya's gaze followed, catching the flash of skill effects from the arena, one in particular: a deep, violet-black glow bursting with dark energy, so striking it was impossible to ignore.
"Looks like...a duel."
"Wanna check it out?" Lina tilted her head at him. Efficient grinding was important, sure, but duels between top players could reveal valuable information.
Kiriya gave a small nod. Together, they turned toward the arena.
Their presence, backed by their level and gear, let them slip easily through the crowd to the front row.
The scene inside even made these two veterans raise their brows slightly.
On one side stood a three-man team: a roaring berserker with a massive axe, an assassin darting in and out of the shadows, and an archer firing from the rear.
A textbook party setup.
Their levels weren't low, and their coordination, while not flawless, was competent.
But their opponent was just one person.
A woman.
She wore a deep violet stargazer's robe, her long hair as black as midnight.
Most of her face was hidden beneath the hood's shadow, leaving only a sharply defined jawline and lips curled in a lazy, mocking smile visible.
The staff in her hand pulsed with shadowy energy.
With a casual flick, she summoned layer upon layer of eerie dark magic circles around her.
Despite being outnumbered, she was completely at ease.
The berserker's charge was sidestepped by a perfectly timed [Shadow step], causing him to slam headfirst into a newly conjured [Torment Snare] circle that sapped his speed and peppered his health bar with constant damage numbers.
The assassin's sneak attack was preempted—her [Fear Scream] hit him squarely, sending him fleeing in terror.
As for the archer's arrows, they were simply absorbed by a suddenly manifesting [Dark Barrier].
She didn't even bother with big, flashy, destructive spells.
Just by chaining together a few basic dark-element skills with impeccable timing and positioning, she toyed with them.
"Too slow." Her voice, husky yet magnetic, cut through the noise, dripping with open disdain." Is this really the best you've got? And you dare challenge me? How… boring."
Her staff struck the ground—[Dark Burst] flared out from her like a tidal wave, instantly deleting the berserker and the assassin, who had just recovered from fear.
She then raised a single finger toward the retreating archer—[Soul Siphon] linked them with a black tether, draining his health bar in seconds until he too dissolved into light.
One versus three. A flawless victory.
The entire fight flowed with brutal elegance, almost artistic in its cruelty.
The crowd erupted in louder shouts—some amazed, some envious, some muttering resentfully.
"See? That's the Sorceress—Morganna!"
A player shouted, exclaimed to his friend, excitement burning.
"Leader of the guild, Sorceress Heart! She's got the hidden Dark Mage class; people say her magic can swallow light itself! Ruthless as hell—never leaves survivors!"
"She's insane… Three people down like nothing…"
"Tch. What's there to brag about? She's only strong because of her hidden class…" someone grumbled sourly.
Morganna seemed completely unfazed by the chatter.
Her hooded gaze swept over the audience, her lazy, taunting voice carrying across the arena:
"Anyone else? Come on, let me stretch a little. Or…"
Her lips curled into a sharper smile.
"Is this all? Just a bunch of trash in the stands, only good for gossiping?"
Her words cracked across the crowd like a whip.
Some competitive players bristled, but no one dared step forward.
The sheer gap in power she had just displayed kept everyone rooted in place.
Kiriya's eyes narrowed slightly.
He could feel the powerful energy radiating from the witch, could see the skill and precision in every move she had made.
That easy grace—the way she controlled every beat of the fight—and her ruthless execution made something deep in him stir.
His long-quiet blood was starting to boil.
This was the instinctive thrill of meeting a worthy—or possibly even superior—opponent.
More than that, her sneering "trash" and the way she swept the crowd with that contemptuous look…
It made him very irritated.
Lina sensed the change beside her. She turned her head, catching the sight of Kiriya's tightened jawline and razor-sharp focus—signs she had come to recognize as his fighting spirit being roused.
She bumped him lightly with her elbow, a flicker of understanding (and perhaps her own battle hunger) glinting in her ice-blue eyes.
"What's wrong? Hands itching?"
Kiriya didn't answer.
He just let out the faintest cold snort through his nose, his gaze never leaving Morganna.
Seeing this, Lina's lips curled into the faintest of smiles.
"Go on then, if you want to. Honestly, with the way she's acting…"
Her grip on her shield tightened, her tone sharpening with a quiet edge.
"If you didn't go, I might step in just to see if her dark magic can break my defense."
That was the final push.
Kiriya finally tore his gaze away from the witch to glance at Lina, meeting the same earnest, battle-ready look in her eyes.
No more hesitation.
He drew a deep breath, stepped out of the crowd, and strode toward the arena entrance.
All eyes followed him immediately.
"Oh? Finally, someone worth looking at?" Morganna's crimson lips curved higher as she spotted the black-clad swordsman approaching.
Her gaze lingered on the sword at his waist and the quiet, restrained power in his presence.
"Interesting. State your name—I don't waste my time killing nameless nobodies."
Kiriya stopped at the threshold of the arena, head lifted, his eyes calm but sharp as blades.
"Kiriya." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried, clear and cutting, through the suddenly hushed arena.
"Let's see if I can give you the warm-up you wanted."
The air instantly grew taut as a bowstring.
Every spectator's attention was locked on the lone challenger who had just stepped forward.
A duel between two apex players was about to ignite.