The boulder streaked through the sky like a comet. Rio and Ryota sprinted, their feet pounding against the dirt path as smoke and dust rose in the distance. The screams of panicked new players carried on the wind.
As they reached the edge of the Town of Beginnings, their eyes went wide.
The massive rock had slammed into the Auction Hall, demolishing the second floor entirely. Wooden beams splintered, windows shattered, and debris rained down across the streets. Miraculously, a few low-level players scrambled away unharmed.
Red warning banners flashed across every interface in town:
"EMERGENCY MAINTENANCE ACTIVATED — LOGOUT IN 3 MINUTES."
Rio grabbed Ryota by the collar, shaking him like a ragdoll. "Do you even comprehend what you've done?!"
Ryota raised his hands defensively. "I… I didn't think it would actually hit the town!"
Rio's eyes flared. "Not only did you destroy the Auction Hall, but everyone is going to be logged out!"
A countdown appeared above their heads: 3… 2… 1…
With a soft chime, their vision dimmed. They were abruptly logged out.
Rio immediately opened her laptop to check the official announcements. Her fists clenched as she read:
EMERGENCY MAINTENANCE — Auction Hall Destroyed
Affected Event: Auction Event Delayed by 4 Days
Reason: Structural Collapse Due to Player-Caused Damage
She looked at Ryota, glaring daggers. "Do you realize how many players this affects? Hundreds! Four days of auction events ruined! And all because you punched a rock!"
Ryota flinched. "I… I didn't think it would actually work! Honest!"
Rio groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Your 'luck' is going to get us banned one day, I swear."
Despite her frustration, she couldn't help but marvel at his timing. Chronos Eye, Scalular Impact… somehow, the boulder had annihilated a building without causing any serious casualties.
Ryota raised an innocent hand. "At least we didn't get banned… yet, right?"
Rio rubbed her temples. "You better hope not. Or the Silver War Goddess might personally haunt you in real life."
The two of them sat silently, watching the maintenance message scroll across the screen. The chaos of the Town of Beginnings had officially announced their arrival—not just as players, but as a duo whose luck and recklessness could reshape the game itself.
The game finally came back online after the emergency maintenance. Rio and Ryota logged in, rubbing their eyes after the sudden logouts and chaotic boulder incident.
A small notification popped up above their heads:
COMPENSATION: 2 Copper Coins for all players affected by Auction Hall incident.
Rio stared at the screen. Two copper coins. Two.
Her fists clenched, and she muttered under her breath, "Two… copper coins? That's it?"
Ryota peeked at the announcement and chuckled nervously. "Well… hey, at least it's something?"
Rio shot him a glare that could melt steel. "Something? This isn't 'something.' This is a mockery."
Before she could fume further, another system notification flashed.
ROYAL KNIGHTS — Recruiting now. Applications open.
Rio's eyes narrowed so sharply that Ryota almost ducked. "Of course," she muttered. "Of course they're recruiting. As if the world isn't already full of chaos, now I have to see them everywhere I go even in this life."
Ryota watched her, trying not to laugh at her sour expression. "Hey, don't be upset. We don't need to give them attention."
Rio crossed her arms, muttering, "I hate them, every fragment of my body...."
Ryota grinned. "Exactly. So why don't we just… go back to what we were doing?"
"What we were doing?" Rio asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Mob grinds," Ryota said, motioning to the dense forest path ahead. "Far away from Royal Knights, far away from any guild politics, far away from… all that drama."
Rio's glare softened slightly. "Hm… yeah. That sounds… almost tempting."
"Almost?" Ryota teased.
Rio huffed, letting out a frustrated laugh. "Fine. Almost tempting. But I swear, if one Royal Knight shows up in my grind spot, I will personally… personally—"
"—destroy them?" Ryota offered innocently.
Rio threw a sharp look at him. "Exactly."
With that settled, the two of them packed up their loot, checked their inventory, and started trekking deeper into the forest.
The sunlight filtered through thick treetops, illuminating patches of moss and the occasional shimmer of a rare mob. Rio's mood slowly improved as she caught sight of her favorite targets—slimes, goblins, and the occasional wandering beast. Ryota matched her pace, a mischievous grin on his face.
"See?" he said, gesturing toward the path ahead. "No guild drama, no penalties, just you, me, and the mobs. The simple life."
Rio let out a small sigh, a rare smile breaking her usual stern expression. "Alright… fine. But don't get any ideas. If you pull another stunt like that boulder, I'm leaving you behind."
Ryota raised his hands in mock surrender. "Deal. But… secretly, I'm kinda looking forward to it."
Rio groaned, shaking her head. "You're hopeless."
And with that, they continued their grind, unaware of just how far the chaos of their luck—and their growing partnership—would ripple across the world of Evermount.