The sun was already high when they left the clearing.
Ren walked ahead, his steps steady but unhurried. He didn't need to look back to know that Yuna and Nautilus were following behind him.
The soft rustling of grass beneath their feet blended with the whisper of the wind sweeping across the endless plains.
They were on their way to Medai Village, a small settlement located west of the Starting Town.
According to the guidebook, Medai wasn't just a place to restock supplies, it also had a few beginner-friendly quests for those not yet ready to face stronger monsters.
Nautilus stretched as he walked, still shaking off the remnants of sleep. "Have you been there before?"
Ren shook his head. "No."
"But you know the way?" Yuna asked, her voice uncertain.
Ren didn't answer right away. Instead, he pulled out the guidebook and flipped to the map of the areas surrounding the Starting Town.
The lines on the page were simple yet detailed, marking the terrain, safe zones, paths leading to nearby villages, and even danger zones to avoid.
He tilted the book slightly so the other two could see. "We'll follow this route." His finger traced along the trail leading to Medai. "No need to cut through the forest, just stick to the main path."
Yuna was quiet for a moment before pursing her lips. "Hmph. And here I thought you already knew this whole world inside out."
"No one knows everything," Ren replied evenly.
Nautilus chuckled but didn't add anything.
The three of them continued walking across the vast, open plains.
The morning air was fresh, the gentle sunlight casting a golden glow over the sea of green, painting an oddly peaceful picture.
But Ren wasn't letting his guard down.
No matter how serene the landscape seemed, monsters could appear at any moment, low-level boars, or worse, packs of wild wolves hiding in the tall grass.
All he could do was hope this journey would go smoothly.
At least until they reached Medai.
They followed the path marked on the map, a narrow dirt trail winding through the open fields.
The tall grass on either side swayed with each passing breeze, producing a rhythmic rustling sound.
The sky was a brilliant, cloudless blue, making it feel almost like a casual stroll rather than a journey through a world filled with danger.
Ren remained at the front, occasionally glancing at the guidebook to confirm their direction.
Medai Village lay to the west, and according to the map, it would take them about two days to reach it at their current pace.
That also meant they'd have to spend at least one night outdoors, not the most ideal situation, but unavoidable.
Nautilus walked leisurely beside Yuna, his eyes on the dirt road ahead. "Not a bad way to travel, huh?" he said, stretching his arms out to embrace the cool breeze. "No monsters, no danger, just open fields and a clear sky."
Yuna shot him a wary look. "Don't jinx it."
Ren didn't let his guard down either.
He had learned that silence was often the prelude to chaos. These wild lands didn't belong to humans, they belonged to monsters.
The map didn't indicate any major threats along this route, but that didn't mean it was completely safe.
One of the things Ren had learned during his short time here, never trust the Beta test information too much.
A pack of wild boars, a stray group of wolves, or even hostile players, anything could happen.
Yuna seemed to share the same thought, as she tightened her grip on the sword at her hip. "Should we pick up the pace?"
Ren shook his head. "No need. Saving stamina is more important. Besides, you both still need practice."
"What about a resting point?" Nautilus asked.
Ren scanned the map again. There was a marked location about halfway along their route, an old ruin, which seemed to have once been a traveler's rest stop.
If things went well, they could spend the night there.
"If we don't find anything better, we'll stay here." Ren pointed to the symbol on the map.
Nautilus let out a low whistle. "Sounds a bit sketchy."
"Do we have a better option?" Yuna shrugged.
No one answered, but the mood grew a little heavier.
Two days on the road wasn't long, but it wouldn't be easy either.
Ren could only hope the journey would go smoothly.
At least until they reached Medai.
Beneath the vast sky, the sun cast sharp rays over the fields, dyeing the tall grass golden as they swayed in the breeze.
Though it was still daytime, the further they traveled from the Starting Town, the more the tranquility of the landscape began to fade.
Unfamiliar sounds rustled through the sparse trees, the buzzing of insects cutting through the silence, blending with the wind stirring the endless blue sky.
Ren slowed his pace, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.
His fingers tightened slightly around his sword's hilt, instincts telling him something was lurking nearby.
"There's a monster."
The moment Ren spoke, a sharp buzzing noise tore through the air from their right.
A giant wasp burst from the tall grass, its transparent wings beating rapidly as it shot straight toward Yuna.
"!?"
Yuna flinched back on reflex, raising her sword defensively.
She was prepared to fight, but she was still a beat too slow, just enough for Ren to notice she wasn't used to dealing with fast-moving enemies.
Clang!
Her blade managed to block the attack, knocking the wasp backward.
It hovered in place, its wings vibrating furiously before launching forward again at breakneck speed.
But this time, Yuna didn't back down.
She gripped her sword tightly, her stance firm, eyes locked onto the approaching monster.
As it closed the distance, she clenched her teeth, steadied her arms, and swung, faster, stronger, more decisively.
A crimson flash sliced through the air.
A heartbeat later..
Slash!
The wasp's body split clean in two.
In an instant, its entire form shattered into scattered red pixels, dissolving into nothingness.
Ren looked at her for a moment, then gave a slight nod. "Well done."
Yuna lowered her sword, her breathing a little uneven, but her eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
She was no longer just dodging and counterattacking; she had begun to understand how to seize the right moments, activating skills at the perfect timing to maximize damage.
A girl with a gentle and kind appearance, but clearly… quite talented.
Yuna exhaled softly, but before she could say anything, another dark figure burst out from the bushes, this time, a level 2 boar charging straight at Nautilus.
"My turn, huh?"
Nautilus took a deep breath, adjusted his stance, and gripped his sword firmly.
The boar wasn't an overwhelming threat, but its charging speed was not to be underestimated.
Ren stood still, watching, with no intention of intervening. He wanted to see how Nautilus would handle the situation.
Thud!
The boar stomped its hooves against the ground and lunged forward. Nautilus quickly leaned to the side to dodge, but his movements were a bit stiff, lacking the fluidity needed for proper evasion.
He retaliated immediately, swinging his sword down at the boar's back, but the strike was too shallow, not enough to finish it off.
"Damn it!"
Nautilus quickly jumped back as the boar turned, preparing to charge again.
Yuna shifted slightly, ready to step in, but Nautilus tightened his grip, showing no intention of asking for help.
This time, he didn't rush to swing his sword. As the beast charged again, Nautilus waited until the last possible moment, then gritted his teeth and drove his blade straight into the boar's side.
Slash!
The stab struck a weak point, and with the force of the boar's own momentum, it let out a painful screech before shattering into fragments of red pixels.
Nautilus let out a breath, twirling his sword once before sheathing it. "Tch… Thought I'd do better than that."
Ren remained with his arms crossed, but his gaze was no longer as indifferent as before.
"You both took them down," he remarked. "Still slow and clumsy, but at least you managed it."
Nautilus shrugged, while Yuna simply pressed her lips together, as if deep in thought.
After confirming that no more monsters were nearby, the group resumed their journey.
The rest of the path across the field was far from peaceful.
Level 2 hornets continued to appear in small waves, occasionally teaming up with level 2 and level 3 boars, forcing the group into constant movement and combat.
At first, Yuna and Nautilus still made mistakes, but gradually, they adapted to the flow of battle.
Yuna increased the speed of her strikes, focusing on finishing enemies quickly rather than relying on passive defense.
Her sword swings became sharper, blocking less, landing hits more.
Nautilus, too, adjusted to real combat, no longer instinctively retreating every time a monster lunged at him.
He started moving more fluidly, dodging at the right moment before immediately counterattacking, exploiting enemy openings to take them down faster.
What caught Ren off guard was Nautilus's swordplay.
There were still moments of clumsiness, but his attacks were far smoother and sharper than those of an average low-level player.
His sword techniques… were too good.
The way he executed his moves, more complex, more precise, and with greater damage efficiency.
Even Ren wasn't sure if he had such refined sword techniques at this stage.
A thought flashed through his mind.
'Could it be that Nautilus's Weapon Mastery level is even higher than mine?'
Both of them were improving at a visible rate.
Not only that, after the series of battles, Yuna had leveled up to level 4, and Nautilus… was only a few more kills away from reaching level 5.
Time passed quietly.
After over an hour, as the sun began to dip toward the west, its light softened, casting long shadows from the distant treeline onto the ground.
It was a sign, they were nearing the edge of the plains.
Ren stopped in his tracks, gazing ahead.
A forest emerged in the distance, its dense foliage intertwining to form a vast, deep-green wall. The air grew cooler, but at the same time, it carried an eerie, unsettling feeling.
What they had faced so far was only the easiest challenge.
The monsters in the forest… would not be this weak.