The chamber remained silent for several moments after the teleportation notice appeared.
The battle was over.
The Silver Werewolf had fallen.
The hidden Blood Release phase had been defeated.
The treasure room had been emptied of everything useful.
For the first time since entering the dungeon, there was nothing left to fight.
Only the faint glow of the teleportation circle illuminated the stone floor beneath Rio and Ryota.
The magical light spread outward in smooth rings, bathing the treasure room in a warm blue radiance. Ancient runes carved into the floor hummed softly as dormant magic awakened once more.
Rio adjusted the Crimson Bloodmoon at her side.
Even now, she could feel the weapon's presence.
The Mythic saber seemed almost alive.
Every few seconds a faint crimson pulse traveled along the blade's silver edge before fading again.
She still couldn't completely believe it.
A Mythic weapon.
At Level 3.
In her previous life, players had spent years searching for weapons of this caliber.
Entire guild wars had been fought over rumors of Mythic equipment.
And now one rested comfortably at her hip.
Ryota stretched his arms above his head and groaned.
Every muscle in his body protested.
The aftermath of fighting two phases of a dungeon boss was finally catching up to him.
"Everything hurts."
Rio glanced at him.
"That's because you got thrown into a wall."
"Twice."
"Three times."
Ryota paused.
"...Three?"
Rio nodded.
"The third one happened after you blacked out."
"That explains a lot."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"No wonder I feel like I got run over by a carriage."
Rio almost smiled.
Almost.
Instead she shook her head.
"You survived."
"That's what matters."
Ryota grinned.
"Coming from you, that sounds almost like praise."
"It wasn't."
"It definitely was."
"It wasn't."
"It was."
Rio sighed.
"Get on the teleport circle."
Ryota laughed and stepped forward.
The moment both of them stood within the glowing runes, the magic intensified.
Light rose around their feet.
The room blurred.
Colors stretched.
The treasure room vanished.
Then the world shifted.
Sunlight greeted them.
Warm.
Bright.
Comfortably familiar.
Rio blinked as the Town of Beginnings appeared around them.
Stone streets.
Wooden buildings.
Crowds of players.
NPC merchants shouting advertisements.
The smell of food drifting through the air.
After hours spent underground fighting for their lives, the simple noise of civilization felt strangely comforting.
Ryota inhaled deeply.
"Wow."
His shoulders visibly relaxed.
"I wasn't expecting fresh air to feel this good."
Rio glanced around the town square.
The atmosphere felt different.
Busier.
More chaotic.
Groups of players clustered together discussing something excitedly.
Several merchants were being swarmed by customers.
A few players sprinted down the streets carrying newly purchased equipment.
Even from a distance, Rio could hear fragments of conversation.
"Did you see the announcement?"
"A hidden dungeon got cleared!"
"Already?"
"Whoever did it must be crazy."
"Or overpowered."
"No way somebody cleared it this early."
Rio immediately understood.
The world had reacted exactly how she expected.
The first-clear announcement had spread across Evermount.
Guilds were panicking.
Competitive players were scrambling.
Everyone suddenly realized there were hidden dungeons waiting to be discovered.
And someone had already beaten one.
Ryota followed her gaze.
"...They're talking about us."
"Yes."
"Should we tell them?"
"No."
"Fair."
Rio began walking.
"We sell the loot."
Ryota fell into step beside her.
"Right."
The two of them moved through the crowded streets toward the commercial district.
Along the way, players continued discussing the dungeon clear.
Some were excited.
Some were worried.
Others looked determined.
The announcement had lit a fire beneath the entire player base.
Rio listened quietly.
Part of her was relieved.
The timeline was already changing.
The Silver Wolf Dungeon had been cleared far earlier than it should have been.
Fenrir's Fang was secured.
Tamer would never obtain it.
And now the Crimson Bloodmoon existed in her hands.
Nothing was following the path she remembered.
That uncertainty was dangerous.
But it also meant opportunities.
As they entered the merchant district, Ryota adjusted the iron sword hanging at his side.
The weapon was plain.
A simple iron blade.
Nothing special.
Nothing rare.
Yet he looked surprisingly satisfied carrying it.
Rio noticed.
"...You're still calling it Iron Steve?"
"Of course."
"It's a sword."
"His name is Iron Steve."
"Why?"
Ryota shrugged.
"He seems trustworthy."
Rio stared at him.
The sword remained completely motionless.
"...It's a piece of metal."
"Exactly."
Rio rubbed her temple.
"I don't understand you."
Ryota smiled.
"Nobody does."
"That concerns me."
The pair eventually reached a general goods merchant.
An elderly NPC stood behind the counter organizing inventory.
Rio immediately began sorting their loot.
Health potions they wanted to keep were placed aside.
Mana potions were stored separately.
Antidotes went into another pile.
Everything else became merchandise.
The merchant examined the items one by one.
The extra leather armor.
The magical pendant.
Unused materials.
Herbs.
Various dungeon drops.
After several minutes, the merchant finished calculating.
A notification appeared.
[Items Sold]
Reward: 37 Copper Coins
Ryota's eyes widened.
"...We're rich."
Rio shook her head.
"No."
She accepted the money.
"Now we're less poor."
"That's basically rich."
"It isn't."
"Feels rich."
Rio stored the coins anyway.
For Level 3 players, it was a respectable amount of money.
Not enough to make them wealthy.
But enough to significantly improve their equipment.
Ryota leaned against the counter.
"So what's next?"
Rio considered the question.
There were many possibilities now.
Grinding.
Hidden quests.
Rare monsters.
Equipment upgrades.
Skill development.
Everything was opening up.
Her gaze briefly drifted toward the Crimson Bloodmoon.
The weapon pulsed faintly.
Almost eagerly.
As though it wanted battle.
Wanted growth.
Wanted more.
Rio placed a hand on the hilt.
A small smile touched her lips.
"First..."
She turned toward the street.
"We repair what needs repairing."
Her eyes shifted toward Ryota's iron sword.
"Then we get better equipment."
Ryota brightened immediately.
"And Iron Steve gets stronger."
Rio sighed.
"Unfortunately."
They stepped away from the merchant's stall and continued down the bustling streets of the Town of Beginnings.
Around them, players chased rumors of hidden dungeons.
Guild recruiters advertised loudly.
Merchants competed for customers.
The entire world of Evermount continued moving forward.
But somewhere beneath all the noise, neither Rio nor Ryota realized how much had already changed.
The Silver Wolf Dungeon was gone.
The Crimson Bloodmoon had awakened.
Fenrir's Fang had been secured.
The timeline Rio remembered was beginning to fracture.
And this was only the beginning.