Night deepened, but the fighting in the canyon showed no sign of stopping.
Kiriya and Lina moved like tireless hunters through the ruins of the ancient site, picking off wave after wave of [Gargoyles] with surgical precision.
Their coordination grew sharper with each encounter; often just a glance was enough to convey intent, their efficiency astonishingly high.
Experience points climbed steadily, silver coins and crafting materials gradually filled the corners of their packs.
More importantly, the glaring red glow above Kiriya's head was visibly fading with each kill.
When yet another gargoyle shattered into rubble under their perfectly timed assault, a crisp system chime finally rang out:
[System Message: Your Sin Value has been cleared. Red-Name status lifted.]
The red glow that had felt like a brand blinked out in an instant, as though it had never been there.
Kiriya instinctively reached up to touch his forehead at last. It felt normal again, warm and weightless.
"At last…" He let out a long breath, as if he had just set down an invisible burden. Even the air seemed fresher now.
Lina noticed the change too, and her ice-blue eyes softened with genuine warmth, like an early spring thaw:
"Congratulations. Looks like 'Mr. Red-Name' is finally a free man." Her tone carried a teasing lightness.
"Congratulations to us both," Kiriya replied with a grin, giving an exaggerated bow.
"My deepest thanks to the 'Knight-lady' for feeding and protecting me through my time of exile. I shall never forget your kindness."
"Enough with the nonsense." Lina gave him a mock glare, but the curve at the corner of her lips betrayed her amusement.
"So what now? Head straight back to the Main City and find a blacksmith?"
"Yeah, now that the problem's solved, we should—"
Before he could finish, a sudden uproar echoed from the far side of the ruins!
This was no monster roar; it was unmistakably the sound of players: shouting, cursing, skills detonating, weapons clashing, far larger in scale than anything they had encountered tonight.
Their smiles vanished. The two exchanged a look, then swiftly crouched, slipping into cover behind a half-collapsed wall, and silently crept toward the source of the commotion.
Climbing a broken stone stair and peering over a cracked wall, they both froze for a beat.
Below, in a relatively open plaza of the ruins, two sizable guild parties were locked in a full-blown battle.
One side wore polished armor and held a disciplined formation, their banners marked with silver and blue — [Silver Wardens].
At their lead was Bryce, the two-handed sword knight they had met once before.
The other side was [Iron Banner] — a ragtag group radiating hostility, fighting with vicious, ruthless tactics.
Their leader was none other than Roderick, the dagger-wielding assassin whose very presence spelled trouble.
"Bryce! You Silver Wardens better not push your luck! We called dibs on this boss — back off while you still can!"
Roderick snarled, dodging a heavy slash as he spat out his words.
"Roderick! This isn't your playground! Everyone has an equal claim to a world boss — but you had the nerve to launch a sneak attack first!"
Bryce's voice was calm but laced with anger, his great sword swinging in a wide arc to force back two assassins who tried to flank him.
The clash was pure chaos. Over thirty players combined, skill effects flaring in every direction, the plaza ringing with battle cries and death screams.
Iron Banner fought dirty and clever, while Silver Wardens held their ground only through better gear and tight teamwork.
Bryce was the pillar of their defense, always where he was needed most.
"Just our luck…" Kiriya muttered under his breath, exchanging a knowing glance with Lina.
The last thing they wanted was to get dragged into a guild war, especially after only just clearing his red-name status.
"Let's go around," Lina whispered, motioning for them to fall back.
They carefully began to retreat, looking for another way out.
But as they passed between two toppled stone statues forming a narrow gap, a sudden blast of magic flung several Iron Banner players straight toward their hiding spot!
"This way!"
Kiriya reacted instantly, seizing Lina's wrist and pulling her toward a nearby fissure in the rock, half-hidden by creeping vines.
The crack was even narrower than the alcove they'd used before, just barely wide enough for two people to squeeze in sideways.
To stay completely out of sight, they had no choice but to press close together.
Kiriya's back was against the cold, rough wall; Lina was right against his chest, leaving virtually no space between them.
He could feel the chill of her armor, the subtle rise and fall of her breath, and the soft pressure where her chest pressed against him.
A faint, clean scent like cold cedar lingered in her silver hair, making him hold his breath without realizing it.
Outside, the guild battle raged deafeningly.
Inside this narrow refuge, silence fell heavy, taut, and charged with something almost… intimate.
Lina's body was tense. She could feel Kiriya's warmth, the steady thump of his heartbeat. Heat crept up her cheeks before she could stop it.
She shifted slightly, hoping to ease the flustering closeness.
But the moment she turned her head...
"Hss…" A barely audible hiss of pain and frustration slipped from her lips.
Kiriya caught it instantly. "What's wrong?" he whispered.
In the darkness, her voice was softer than usual, tinged with an uncharacteristic mix of embarrassment and gentle reproach, brushing against his ear like a feather:
"Kiriya… you're pinning my hair…"
Her tone wasn't cold or commanding; it was soft, almost plaintive, carrying a warmth that made his heart skip.
Kiriya froze.
Only now did he realize that when he'd pulled her inside, he had accidentally trapped a few strands of her Snow-white hair between his shoulder and the wall.
"Uh— sorry!" he whispered quickly, trying to ease the pressure, but the space was too cramped.
The small movement only made them press even closer together, tugging her hair more.
"Mmm… don't move…" Lina breathed, her voice so soft it was almost a sigh.
"Just… stay like this for now…"
Kiriya had no choice but to remain still, their posture unchanging, close enough to feel every slight shift of breath.
Outside, steel clashed and spells detonated.
Inside, he could hear nothing but her quiet breathing, feel nothing but her warmth and the faint trace of her fragrance.
Time seemed to stretch unbearably long, each second sharp and distinct.
He could sense Lina's tension gradually ebbing, as though she was forcing herself to relax.
Their heartbeats seemed to fall into rhythm, almost overlapping.
"They're… really going at it out there…" Kiriya finally said, voice dry, just to shatter the silence.
"Mm." Lina's reply was soft, her breath brushing the side of his neck.
"Iron Banner… they never fight fair…"
"Yeah… Bryce is holding up pretty well, though…" Kiriya murmured, trying to focus on the battle beyond the wall, though his senses stubbornly stayed fixed on the person in his arms.
After that brief exchange, silence returned, but it no longer felt suffocating.
It was a silence charged with something delicate, almost fragile.
After what felt like a long while, hearing the sounds of battle shifting farther away, Lina finally whispered, barely audible:
"I think… there's a bit of room now… You can try leaning back a little."
"Got it."
Kiriya carefully, painstakingly shifted his shoulder back.
At last, the trapped strands of silver hair came free.
They both exhaled at the same time.
Even so, the narrow crevice kept them pressed together, and neither of them spoke again.
They simply stayed there, listening to each other's slowing heartbeats and quiet breaths, waiting for the battle outside to end or for the moment it would be safe to emerge.