"Damn… they're taking a long time."
I leaned back inside the vehicle and let out a tired exhale.
The silence felt strange after everything that had happened.
After a few seconds, I rolled down the window slightly.
Fresh air rushed inside.
"…I should probably walk around a bit."
Sitting still was making me restless anyway.
I glanced toward my rifle resting beside the seat.
Should I bring it?
I looked around the village again through the window.
It seemed peaceful enough.
Small.
Quiet.
Almost too quiet.
"…What's the worst that could happen?"
So I left the rifle behind.
Probably a mistake.
I quickly stepped out of the vehicle, stretching slightly as my boots hit the ground.
The warm sunlight washed over my face.
Compared to the wastelands outside, this place felt… normal.
Too normal.
As I walked deeper into the village, I noticed something strange.
There were no guards.
No patrols.
No visible defenses.
Just vendors.
Shops.
NPC villagers moving around quietly.
Volt did mention this place used to be busy back then…
Back before the Great Collapse.
Back when players still traveled between zones normally.
But now…
It felt abandoned.
Like a place frozen in time.
Most of the people here were vendors—or at least they used to be treated as NPC vendors.
But things were different now.
Ever since the Collapse, people stopped seeing them as simple NPCs.
Well…
At least some of us did.
Other groups still exploited them.
Used them.
Treated them like objects.
I kept walking through the streets, scanning the area out of habit.
Almost every building here was a shop.
Weapon stores.
Potion stands.
Repair stations.
Supply houses.
Eventually, I stopped near a wooden bench and sat down quietly.
"…This place is kinda nice."
I leaned back slightly.
Peaceful.
Calm.
But my thoughts drifted back anyway.
To Blaze.
Why are you so hard to convince…?
I was just trying to help you…
But—
I immediately shook my head.
"Wait… why am I even thinking about this stuff?"
Ugh.
"What's wrong with me…"
I looked down at my hands.
"…I'm not useless."
Not anymore.
Memories flashed briefly through my mind.
Countless Star.
The Void.
The fear.
The Empire.
The helplessness.
Then everything after that.
I clenched my fist slightly.
Just a few more stops…
Then we reach HQ safely.
…Assuming the Empire doesn't send some insane overpowered player after us first.
Not to mention what Commander Vortex said earlier…
As I continued questioning myself, a voice suddenly spoke nearby.
"Traveler, huh?"
"…What?"
I looked up immediately.
A player stood a few meters away from me.
My body instantly tensed.
From his appearance, he looked like a SkyRealm player.
Without thinking, my hand lowered slightly toward the pistol holstered near my waist.
And judging from his expression—
He noticed.
"Easy now," he said calmly.
"Do I really look like a bad guy?"
"…Honestly?"
I narrowed my eyes.
"Yeah."
The player laughed lightly.
"Well, that hurts."
I stood up slowly.
"Whatever you're selling, I'm not buying."
I assumed he was just another wandering merchant staying in the village.
But then—
"Oh no, I'm not a merchant."
His eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at me more carefully.
"…You look familiar."
I immediately felt uneasy.
Wait.
"Ah."
He snapped his fingers.
"You're Ryze, right?"
My expression stiffened.
"From the Resistance."
He pointed at me excitedly.
"The Starlinked Sniper."
"…Congrats," I replied dryly.
"You recognized me."
I started walking away.
"Now if you'll excuse me—"
"Oh no."
His voice suddenly changed.
Cold.
"I can't let you leave."
I stopped.
"…What?"
"I think you misunderstood something."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I'm looking at a very large bounty right now."
Silence.
Then—
Every instinct in my body screamed.
MOVE.
I instantly dashed sideways.
BOOM!
The bench I had been standing beside exploded apart into shattered wood and debris.
I turned sharply.
The player still stood there casually, one arm extended forward.
"…Oh?"
He looked amused.
"You're fast."
"What the hell are you—?!"
He suddenly raised his hand again.
"Transport."
The world twisted instantly.
My vision blurred.
Then—
Everything changed.
"…doing?!"
I stumbled slightly as the scenery around me completely shifted.
The village was gone.
In its place—
A barren wasteland.
Rock formations.
Dust.
Broken ground.
But not the same wasteland from before.
"…Wait."
I looked around quickly.
"Where are we?!"
"Relax," the player replied casually.
"We're southwest of the village."
He shrugged.
"Far enough that we won't damage the civilians."
I stared at him.
"You're making a mistake!"
But he ignored me completely.
Another magic circle formed near his hand.
"Blast Wave."
A violent shockwave exploded toward me.
I barely managed to dodge in time as the ground behind me shattered apart.
Definitely a bounty hunter.
Great.
Just my luck.
Why the hell is there even a bounty hunter living in that village?!
I quickly studied him while creating distance.
Armor.
Clothing style.
Combat posture.
Mage…?
Wait.
"…You're not from SkyRealm?"
The player smirked.
"And who said I was?"
Another spell circle formed instantly beside him.
I quickly dove behind a large stone as another barrage slammed into the area.
Damn it!
What do I do?!
I only have my pistol!
My rifle's still back at the vehicle!
I pressed myself against cover, trying to think.
Okay.
Think.
SkyRealm players don't fight like this.
They use weapons.
Skills tied to combat classes.
This guy—
He's casting pure magic.
No staff.
No weapon.
Just his hands.
Cross-player.
Has to be.
Maybe Eclipse Online…?
As I focused on finding a way out of this mess, the barrage of spells suddenly stopped.
Then—
"Oh right."
His voice echoed calmly across the wasteland.
"I completely forgot."
A pause.
"Sorry for the rude introduction."
I frowned.
"What?"
"My name's Axell."
A faint grin appeared on his face.
"And I'm what you'd call…"
"…a Battle Mage."
Battle Mage?
"…That's a first."
I slowly stepped out from cover slightly.
"So you ARE a cross-player."
"Yeah, I guess you can say that."
He shrugged casually.
"My game wasn't exactly popular."
"Only a handful of people even remember it."
I tightened my grip on my pistol.
"Alright then, Axell."
"If you want to fight me one-on-one…"
"…then fight fair."
Axell stared at me for a second.
Then burst out laughing.
"…Fair?"
He looked genuinely amused.
"You're joking, right?"
I frowned.
"I don't even have my main weapon."
"And?"
His smile widened slightly.
"You think I'd give the Starlinked Sniper a fair fight?"
He shook his head slowly.
"No thanks."
"I don't play for honor."
"I play to win."
Another magic circle formed around his arm.
"Sorry."
"…But I don't fight fair."
Damn it.
I clicked my tongue.
My mana still hadn't fully recovered after the Havoc fight.
And now this psycho shows up.
I exhaled slowly.
No more options.
Fine.
Then I'll use what I have.
I grabbed the pistol from my waist.
Mana slowly flowed through my arm into the weapon.
The metal trembled slightly as magic wrapped around it.
Weapon Enhancement.
Explosive Enhancement.
Speed Enhancement.
"…Guess this'll have to do."