Ren sighed, finally lowering the tip of his sword slightly, but not completely relaxing.
He remained cautious but also understood that if she truly had information about the wolf, it might not be wise to turn her into an enemy just yet.
Argo observed him, then smirked. "Good, at least you know how to negotiate."
"There's nothing to negotiate." Ren replied, his voice still wary. "I just want to know where that wolf is."
Argo shrugged. "Then let's work together, kid. I have information, you have combat skills… though not much to speak of… Sounds like a fair deal, doesn't it?"
Ren disliked the way she called him "kid," but he didn't argue. In the end, he nodded.
"Fine. But don't try anything funny."
Argo chuckled. "And if I did? What could you even do?"
Ren gritted his teeth but didn't respond. Instead, he turned away, scanning the ground for tracks. After all, he didn't have a better option.
Argo followed alongside him, not too close, but not far enough to lose sight of each other. She watched Ren as if evaluating him.
"You don't seem like the type to go looking for trouble. Why are you chasing this monster?"
Ren didn't answer immediately. He crouched down, inspecting a deep claw mark embedded in the dirt before muttering:
"I don't like owing anyone."
Argo blinked, then smiled mysteriously. "Oh? A guy with more pride than necessary, huh? Interesting."
Ren sighed, ignoring her remark. "If you have information, then help me find the tracks."
Argo let out a quiet laugh before slipping through the shadows of the trees, her sharp eyes scanning like a hunting cat.
A strange partnership had begun.
Ren crouched, his fingers lightly tracing over the scratches on the ground.
The deep claw marks were a clear sign of the monster's terrifying strength.
A patch of dirt had been torn up, either from a leap from above or from striking something with force.
Argo stood beside him, arms crossed, looking amused. "Honestly, I'm surprised you're still alive."
Ren frowned. "What do you mean?"
She shrugged, a glint of mischief in her eyes. "You're not the first one to run into that wolf, kid. But you are the first to come back and try to challenge it again…
And if I had to judge, I'd say your courage is leaning more towards 'reckless' than 'brave.'"
Ren clenched his jaw. "Thanks for the compliment."
Argo laughed. "Don't be mad. It's just… you know? I've met quite a few skilled players.
Swordsmen as fast as lightning, stubborn solo players with deep game knowledge, even some who could take on a field boss with just a handful of people… Where do you think you rank among them?"
Ren didn't answer right away. He knew he couldn't compare to those strong players or the beta testers she was referring to.
He had no special skills, no good equipment, no team.
Argo tilted her head, watching his reaction. "You're not among the strongest. But at least you're not the weakest either, since you're still alive."
Ren shrugged, still focused on the tracks before him. "I don't care about rankings. No matter how strong the other players out there are… they have nothing to do with me."
Argo raised an eyebrow. "Really? Then why are you after this wolf?"
Ren fell silent for a moment, then murmured, "I just don't want to run away anymore."
His words blended into the rustling of the wind. Argo stared at him for a second before suddenly laughing.
"Hmm? So you're the 'deep personal reasons but won't tell anyone' type, huh?"
Ren sighed. "Are you helping me track this thing or not?"
Argo shrugged again. "Alright, alright. But just a warning, if this wolf is what I think it is, the two of us might not be enough to handle it."
She crouched down, tracing a claw mark with her fingers before glancing toward the dark forest ahead.
"But this is getting interesting. I want to see what you can do, kid."
…
The sun had started dipping toward the west, painting the sky with a soft orange glow.
Under the fading sunlight, the rolling grasslands before them held a peaceful beauty, but that silence only made Ren more cautious.
Ren and Argo moved through the tall grass, each step careful to avoid making too much noise.
The last rays of daylight filtered through the leaves as they entered the forest, casting dappled patterns on the ground.
Argo was the first to break the silence.
"You know," she said, her tone amused, "you remind me of a few people I've met… but of course, you're nowhere near their level."
Ren didn't turn his head, but he could feel her gaze assessing him. "What do you mean?"
Argo shrugged. "Just that… you're not the first person I've seen trying to track down a monster way above their level. But most of them were at least way more skilled than you."
Ren pressed his lips together. He knew he wasn't the strongest, but the way Argo spoke made him feel an odd sense of irritation.
She continued, almost like she was deliberately poking at his pride.
"There's this guy I know....so good with a sword that he can take down a monster without letting it touch him. That idiot only ever plays solo…" She held up one finger. "Then there's this girl who wields a scythe can cut straight through golem armor in a single strike." A second finger went up.
Then Argo smirked, glancing at Ren. "And you? A newbie with a cheap sword from the blacksmith?"
Ren gripped his weapon tighter but didn't argue. He simply inhaled quietly, steadying his breath.
"…At least I'm still standing here." He replied.
Argo raised an eyebrow before laughing. "Well, at least you're stubborn."
They continued deeper into the forest.
The trees grew denser, and the air felt heavier. After a while, the ground changed from layers of fallen leaves to scattered stone formations.
As they stepped past a low bush, the scene before them made both of them pause.
A sunken area with large boulders stacked upon one another, creating a treacherous terrain. Deep scratches marred the stone surfaces, claw marks, carved in with brutal force.
A rocky pit…
The hunting ground of the Elite Dire Wolf… yet no signs of any wolves in sight.
Ren crouched down, checking the last traces left on the stone surface.
He had used up all his tracking powder…
These tracks weren't fresh, probably from a day ago.
But more importantly, they led toward a small cave, partially hidden behind the piled-up boulders.
He stood up, took one last look around, then said:
"All right, location confirmed. Job's done."
Argo, who had been observing the terrain, raised an eyebrow. "That fast? You're not planning to stick around for a bit?"
Ren frowned. "My task was just to locate it. Now that I have, all that's left is to report back."
He turned, ready to leave, but Argo remained still.
She narrowed her eyes, staring at the rocky cave. "…Something's off."
Ren sighed but followed her gaze toward the cave.
"What's off?"
Argo didn't answer right away. She stepped closer, gently pressing her hand against a nearby rock, letting her fingertips trace the deep claw marks.
Her golden eyes narrowed as if piecing together a puzzle in her mind.
"…If the wolf lives here, then why are there no tracks near the entrance?"
Ren blinked. He hadn't noticed that before.
Normally, a monster with its own territory would leave plenty of traces around its den.
But here, aside from the claw marks on the stone and the streaks of blood, the ground was strangely clean.
A sense of unease crept into Ren's chest.
He took a step back. "Then all the more reason not to stay."
But Argo simply smiled, a grin filled with excitement.
"And that's exactly why I want to stay."
Ren frowned at her. "What are you thinking?"
Argo glanced at him before turning her gaze back to the cave.
"Not sure." Her voice was light, but her eyes gleamed like a cat spotting prey. "But something doesn't add up… and I hate missing out on interesting things."
Ren clenched his teeth. He didn't like this at all. He was ready to just leave.
She could do whatever she wanted.
But… before his feet moved…
Ren looked at Argo… one more time.
She still wore that easygoing smile, but something about it… felt off.
He couldn't put his finger on it until he met her gaze.
Beneath the excitement, he saw something quieter. A feeling carefully hidden, regret, guilt… and maybe even responsibility.
It was strong enough to make Ren hesitate. He was used to seeing calculation in people's eyes...deception, manipulation, exploitation.
But this wasn't like that. Argo wasn't trying to trick him.
She truly wanted to stay.
Not for fun. Not for curiosity. But for something deeper.
"…You know something, don't you?"
Argo stiffened for a fraction of a second before shrugging casually. "I'm just interested."
Ren didn't buy it.
"What are you trying to check?" he asked directly.
This time, Argo was silent for longer. Her feline eyes avoided his scrutinizing stare…
But Ren kept looking at her. He wasn't sure when it had happened… but he was being a little stubborn.
Finally, she let out a soft breath and smirked faintly.
"It's just…" She reached out, brushing her fingers over the claw marks again, her voice dropping to a murmur. "People have been here before us. And I want to know… what happened to them."
The words sent a chill down Ren's spine.