The Demon Mist Forest.
As the seconds ticked by, the black-robed man, Mike, was getting absolutely terrified. Cold sweat was literally drenching his back.
He started regretting his life choices. Why did I solo-queue into the Demon Mist Forest?
More importantly, he was worried he had just offended a "Saint Magister." He was already calculating his escape route.
After about ten seconds of awkward, eerie silence, Karion cleared his throat.
Ahem.
He just wanted to explain that he was just a passing NPC.
But before he could say a word, that simple cough hit Mike like a jumpscare. His heart nearly jumped out of his chest.
Without saying a word, Mike turned around and noped the hell out of there.
He activated his wind magic, launched himself into the air, and speedran his escape. He flew as fast as humanly possible, terrified that if he hesitated for even a second, this "Saint Magister" would delete him from existence.
Watching the black-robed man vanish in the blink of an eye, Karion stood there with a face full of question marks.
Visible Confusion.
Wait, why did he run?
I haven't even started my dialogue tree yet...
Just then, the skinny youth behind him used a tree trunk to barely hold himself up. He pressed his hand to his chest and bowed to Karion.
"Thank you, sir, for blocking the [Element Explosion] for me. You saved my life. Horus is forever in your debt!"
[Element Explosion]?
Karion was secretly shook.
So that white light earlier was the forbidden spell, [Element Explosion]?!
Karion, being a theory-crafting nerd, knew exactly how this forbidden magic worked. He also realized the irony:
He survived because he had zero mana.
No mana = nothing inside him to detonate = Immune.
Task failed successfully.
But then the fear hit him. If that guy had used any other attack spell—fireball, wind blade, whatever—Karion would be dead meat.
Holy crap, that was close...
Also, Karion finally understood why the guy in grey ran away.
No one expects a "normie" to tank a forbidden ult and take zero damage. So, naturally, they assumed he was a smurf account (a high-level expert in disguise).
Fair enough. Logic checks out.
Fighting the urge to scratch his head awkwardly, Karion turned halfway to look at the skinny youth, his brain running at 1000 RPM:
'This guy thinks I appeared specifically to save him...
But if you think about it, my sudden spawn scared off the attacker and stopped the gank.
So, technically speaking... I did save him.'
Karion pondered for a few seconds, then, as if possessed by a spirit of pure bullshit, he blurted out:
"You trespassed on my territory."
Critical Hit.
Horus's heart skipped a beat. His respect for this "Saint Magister" skyrocketed.
This is the core of the Demon Mist Forest! It's dangerous AF. Unless you're desperate like Horus, nobody comes here.
But this person lives here? He carved out a territory in this hellhole?
Only a Gigachad Saint Magister could do that.
Just like Mike, Horus was now 100% convinced Karion was a legendary figure.
I mean, he saw it with his own eyes: The guy teleported in (Space Magic) and face-tanked an [Element Explosion]. Hacks.
Horus bowed even lower, trembling with a mix of awe and fear.
"I am terribly sorry! I didn't know this was your domain. I was being hunted and had no choice but to flee into the forest. I stumbled here by mistake. If I offended you, I will leave immediately!"
Holding his battered body together by sheer will, Horus turned to limp away.
Karion stood still, looking cool on the outside, but screaming internally:
'YES! Go! Walk faster! I can't keep this acting up much longer. If we keep talking, I'm gonna expose myself. Shit, how did I get into this mess? And how do I use this bead to teleport back?!'
But just as Horus took a few steps, he stopped.
Karion, who had just started to relax, stiffened up again. Panic level rising.
Horus turned around, pulled out a parchment scroll, and offered it respectfully with both hands.
"You saved my life. I have nothing else of value to repay you, except this. This is a Recording Scroll. It can repeatedly record magic circles of Tier 5 or lower. It might be trash loot to someone of your status, Sir, but it is a rare item. I hope it can provide you some amusement. Please accept this token of my gratitude!"
Horus wasn't just being nice. He was playing 4D Chess.
He knew that even if he escaped the mercenaries now, he wasn't safe.
He needed a backup plan.
By giving a gift, he hoped to gain favor with this "Saint Magister." If he got hunted again, maybe—just maybe—he could run back here for protection. He was looking for a carry.
Karion saw the scroll and his eyes lit up.
Free loot? Don't mind if I do.
He immediately straightened his posture, clasped his hands behind his back, put on his best "Wise Master" face, nodded slightly, and said in a deep, magnetic voice:
"Leave it."
"Yes!"
Horus was overjoyed. The fact that the expert accepted the gift meant he wasn't angry. It meant there was a chance to build a connection.
Simp mode activated.
Horus carefully placed the scroll on the ground, but hesitated, looking like he wanted to say something else.
Karion saw the look and frowned slightly. This guy wants something.
"Is there anything else?"
"I... I was wondering how I should address you, Sir?"
Horus was nervous. He didn't want to push his luck and be annoying.
Karion didn't answer immediately. He stayed silent for a few seconds to build suspense (and because he was thinking).
"You can call me Mr. Sixteen."
His real name was Shi Lu. In his old life, friends called him "Sixteen" (Shi-Lu sounds like 16), and his online handle was often abbreviated to just '16'.
He didn't want to give his real name, so... Gamertag it is.
Horus let out a breath of relief.
"Mr. Sixteen." A name meant a connection. The gift was worth it!
Horus opened his mouth to say more.
But Karion decided to quit while he was ahead.
"You have lingered here long enough," Karion said, his voice flat.
Horus heard the impatience. He knew the cutscene was over. He didn't dare test the waters any further.
"I will leave at once!"
Horus dragged his injured body and walked away as fast as he could.
Once Horus completely disappeared from view, Karion let out a massive sigh.
Phew.
The next second, reality hit him. He was standing in a dangerous forest.
Panic Mode: Reactivated.
He scrambled behind a nearby rock like a frightened rat, scanning the area for danger.
Is the coast clear? Any mobs nearby?
After a solid minute of camping behind the rock and confirming there were no monsters, Karion finally crept out.
He walked over to the scroll Horus left, picked it up, and...
Immediately ran back to hide behind the rock.