Ren gently ran his fingers over the steel blade. His empty mind slowly blended into the darkness of the night.
But then…
A thought flickered.
'I still have something to do…'
Ren slid his finger and opened the quest board.
[Quest]
Hunt the Elite Dire Wolf.
Status: Completed.
He shot up from the old chair, not looking back as he sprinted straight toward the town gate.
Where the bounty board stood.
The board remained there, silent beneath the dim glow of the crystal lamps.
Ren panted, his breath forming thin wisps of mist in the cold air.
His hand moved swiftly over the layers of posted quests, eyes scanning each one as if searching for something… until he stopped.
The old bounty notice was still there.
Ren tore it down.
Following the directions, he made his way to the quest hand-in location.
The path was neither complicated nor long.
"Oh… it's you? The adventurer?" A somewhat familiar voice rang out as Ren arrived.
It was a middle-aged man with a stern, hardened face.
Ren could see strands of silver scattered through his short, dark hair.
The man frowned in slight irritation, his precious rest time interrupted. In just a few more hours, morning would come, and he would have to resume his duties.
"You came looking for me? If it's to say thanks, don't bother." He waved a hand dismissively.
Ren froze for a moment. He didn't immediately recognize the man.
It took him a few seconds to recall, this voice belonged to the guard captain who had driven away the Giant Elite Dire Wolf.
The one who had saved him and the others.
Back then, the man's face had been obscured beneath a steel helm, making it impossible to see.
But now, he was dressed in ordinary medieval-style clothing, just like any other NPC.
Ren stood still for a moment, looking at the man before him. He didn't know how to respond. Saying thank you had already been rejected, and anything else felt meaningless.
He had come here only to claim his reward, but now, standing before the one who had saved him, he felt an odd sensation.
"…I'm not here to say thanks." Ren said softly, gripping the quest notice tightly.
The man raised an eyebrow, his sharp gaze sweeping over him. "Then what? What do you want?"
Ren didn't answer right away. Instead, he held out the quest paper. "I'm here to report. I've completed the quest."
The man blinked, pausing for a brief moment before letting out a small chuckle one that was hard to tell if it was mocking or approving.
"Completed?" He crossed his arms. "I remember clearly… you were running for your life from the Giant Elite Dire Wolf earlier. So, you ran into it while hunting an Elite Dire Wolf?"
Ren clenched his jaw. Yes, he had run away. He let out a quiet sigh and admitted,
"I only happened to come across an Elite Dire Wolf while wandering the Golden Plains."
"…But luckily… I received support and managed to finish it off." His voice wasn't loud, but it was firm.
The man's gaze shifted slightly.
A brief silence passed before he reached out and took the quest paper.
"An Elite Dire Wolf… showing up around the Golden Plains?" He muttered. "I've never seen that happen before. Maybe… they were pushed out of their territory by the Giant Elite Dire Wolf…"
He examined the paper for a moment before nodding. "Alright. Let's complete the formalities."
Ren nodded and followed him inside.
The quest hand-in room was small and simple, containing only an old wooden desk and stacks of disorganized paperwork.
The man flipped through some documents, pulled out an iron stamp, and pressed it onto Ren's quest sheet.
Thud!
The mark was imprinted on the paper, confirming the quest's completion.
He then slid a pouch of coins across the table. "Here's your reward. 1,200 cor. It wouldn't usually be this much, but lately, merchant caravans have been running into them, so the bounty was raised."
Ren reached out, feeling the weight of the pouch in his hands, it felt different, like a milestone.
The man continued watching him, his eyes studying him carefully. "You seem… different."
Ren looked up, meeting his gaze. "I've learned a lesson… in a short amount of time."
"…Good." The man nodded. "But don't make yourself learn the hard way again."
Ren didn't reply.
He only tightened his grip on the sword at his waist before turning to leave the room.
5,120 cor…
Enough to buy a brand-new katana from the shop… and also to pay Klein back.
'I'll give it to him… tomorrow… before they leave the Starting Town for other places.'
Ren walked into the night, his steps steady toward the familiar blacksmith shop.
But when he arrived.
The shop was closed.
Ren stood still before the heavy wooden door, the dim crystal lights reflecting off the metal shop sign.
No hammering sounds. No scent of heated iron or burning coal. Everything was silent.
He raised his hand, intending to knock, but then hesitated. It was late. The old blacksmith was likely resting.
Ren lowered his hand and let out a soft breath.
He glanced at the clock display in the lower-left corner of his interface.
'Four more hours… until sunrise…'
A flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes, but he quickly pushed it away, leaving only determination behind.
He… would wait here until morning, until the shop opened.
Taking a step back, Ren leaned against the cold stone wall beside the blacksmith's door.
Beneath the faint glow of the crystal lamps, he wrapped himself in his thin cloak, letting the darkness envelop him like a chilling blanket.
A cold night breeze swept past, carrying an icy breath that made him shiver.
He closed his eyes, letting his thoughts drift between reality and memory.
The warmth of a small room in an inn suddenly washed over him, the simple yet soft bed, the drunken chatter from below that no longer mattered as he sank into sleep.
There, he was allowed to relax, to set aside his worries and the lurking dangers, even if only for a while.
And yet, Ren had slept through worse before…
'Maybe… I should buy a house.'
His mind wandered to small, old-fashioned houses with medieval European architecture, their red-tiled roofs standing out vividly.
He dreamed of a kitchen filled with the warmth of morning smoke and the aroma of freshly cooked meals, each dish carefully prepared, by him, for him.
A bedroom with an oversized bed, big enough for him to roll around in. A bathroom with warm water and fragrant soap…
A cold breeze slipped beneath his cloak, sending a shiver through his body.
The night remained silent, with only the faint rustling of wind against wooden signboards and the occasional flicker of crystal lamps.
It was so quiet that he could hear the slow, steady rhythm of his own heartbeat.
Four hours…
Ren closed his eyes, letting himself sink into the tranquil darkness.
No more footsteps chasing him. No more growls filled with killing intent. No more calculating gazes closing in on him.
Just him, sitting in silence.
His hand lightly traced the hilt of the sword at his waist, feeling its solid presence.
For the first time, after everything that had happened… he could sit still. No more running, no more waiting in tense anticipation for someone to make a move.
At the very least… he was doing something of his own will. Not because someone told him to. Not because he needed advice. Just because he wanted to.
Even so, his mind wasn't entirely at ease.
Ren looked up at the sky, where the stars still shone brightly.
'I survived… another day.'
A simple thought. But as he whispered it in his mind, he truly felt it.
Every wound, every scratch, every ache—proof that he had made it through.
And now, he was waiting.
Not because he was forced to.
Not because he was afraid or cornered.
But because he chose to.
'At the very least… this is something I can do… to thank Klein… and the others.'
Ren smiled faintly.
Just four more hours.
The night wind continued to glide through the empty streets. The silence was so deep that Ren could hear his own heartbeat.
He curled up slightly, pulling his cloak tighter, but the cold still seeped into his skin, not just the chill of the night, but the hollowness that wrapped around him.
Yet, he didn't want to leave.
Even as exhaustion settled into his body after a long day, even as his eyes grew heavy, he refused to move.
The forge in front of him remained shut, but he knew that if he just waited a little longer, those doors would open.
And then, he could do what he came here for.
Time crawled by.
Ren leaned against the cold stone wall, eyes lifting to the dark sky. The stars still twinkled, scattered like tiny lanterns against the night.
He closed his eyes, allowing himself to drift into a light sleep, caught between wakefulness and slumber.
Ren never truly fell into deep sleep.
Every time his mind relaxed, nightmares crept in, beasts roaring, his ragged breaths as he ran, the sharp sting of a blade cutting into flesh.
His eyes snapped open. His breathing remained steady, but an indescribable unease churned inside him.
He hated those dreams.
His hand instinctively tightened around the hilt of his sword.
Even knowing they were just memories, he couldn't stop the unease from creeping in.
Ren glanced around. Everything was still.
The Starting Town, always bustling with noise during the day, became an entirely different world at night, silent, still, almost eerie.
No cheerful chatter. No hurried footsteps of players searching for quests. No loud calls of merchants trying to sell their wares.
Only dark streets, flickering crystal lamps, and the occasional NPC patrol.
Ren took a deep breath, letting the cold air fill his lungs.