Chapter 9

The one-sided scuffle finally ended only when Theo, exhausted from throwing punches, collapsed. Aslan crouched down beside him, who was sprawled on the ground and panting, and asked:

“So, where were you really?”

Theo sat up and glared at him. Then, without a word, he pulled out an item. Aslan, staring at it with a puzzled face, froze solid the moment he read its name.

Eternal Fog. A mythic item marked with “Eternal,” the same as the game’s title, said to be obtainable only within a sanctuary.

“Hey… this is…”

Muttering blankly, Aslan hurriedly pulled up the item’s details. Just in case. But there was no mistake—the thing in front of him was unmistakably a genuine Eternal Item. With creaking disbelief, he turned his head back toward Theo.

“You really went to a sanctuary?”

“I told you I did.”

“Crazy… insane… and you even came back with an Eternal?”

“Yeah.”

“You… you, are you really Theo?”

Aslan grabbed Theo’s face, squishing and pressing as if the one in front of him might be a fake. Theo let out a sharp sigh and slapped his hands away.

“Didn’t you look at the main functions?”

“Huh?”

Aslan glanced back down at the info window.

“…Ah.”

For Theo, an Origin who fought with a bow, Melee Attack was as good as a feast painted on a picture—something he couldn’t eat.

“Of all things, that’s what you pulled…”

It felt like the strength just drained out of him. Aslan slumped onto the floor, and Theo sat up beside him.

“Now do you believe me?”

Aslan only nodded silently. Then he asked,

“Are you going to sell it? You can’t even use it.”

Aslan clicked his tongue regretfully, though his eyes gleamed with barely concealed greed as they lingered on the Eternal Fog. For someone like him, who mixed longsword and orb, it was an irresistible prize.

“I’m going to use it.”

The words fell from Theo’s mouth like a stone. Aslan’s head lifted a beat late, his face slack with disbelief.

“…Huh?”

It seemed he hadn’t processed what he’d just heard.

“Anyway, do you happen to know anything about something called a Kallia Tree?”

“Huh? What’s that?”

“…Forget it.”

Theo dusted himself off and tried to stand, but Aslan grabbed his hand and forced him back down.

“Wait—what do you mean, you’re going to use it? You’re an Origin, you can’t even equip another weapon.”

Theo, already pressed for time, grew irritated at being held back again and again. He was about to throw out a half-hearted explanation just to shake him off when a sharp, husky voice cut in from behind.

“What’s this? A couple of beggars squatting in the dirt?”

Both of them turned their heads at once. The voice was familiar—and sure enough, so was the figure.

Tight high-waisted leather shorts, light plate armor covering only parts of her upper body, gauntlets on both hands, twin daggers at her waist, and high heels fitted with upper armor. Her short-cropped hair framed sharp, double-lidless eyes that carried a refreshing edge. It was Noquia.

Noquia looked down at the two of them sitting in the dirt, then plopped down as well.

“Quia, hey.”

Aslan greeted her warmly. Noquia returned the smile and said “Hey,” before asking curiously, “So what are you two doing sitting out here?”

Puffing up with pride, Aslan grabbed Theo’s shoulder. “I caught him red-handed here.”

Noquia’s eyes flicked to Theo. He snorted and shrugged. Then she looked back at Aslan.

“So, do you finally believe he was in a sanctuary?”

Her expression soured as she asked, making it obvious just how much Aslan must have nagged her about it while Theo was gone.

“Well, yeah. Hard not to, after seeing proof with my own eyes.”

“Proof?”

Noquia tilted her head, then suddenly snapped her gaze to Theo.

“Eternal! Show me too! I’ve only heard about them, I’ve never actually seen one!”

“Let me see again too!”

Both of them stared at him with puppy-like eagerness. Theo’s blank face twisted into one of mocking disdain, but their shining eyes didn’t falter. Finally, he wore a benevolent smile and displayed the item. Hmph. Behold it well, common mortals.

The moment Noquia laid eyes on the real Eternal Item, her excitement boiled over. She was practically snorting out clouds of hot air. It made sense—she was a melee character too.

Still transfixed, she muttered under her breath like she was possessed. “Unbelievable… amazing… You can’t use it anyway, right? Don’t sell it. Just give it to me…”

“I’m going to use it.”

At Theo’s answer, Noquia whipped her head toward him again, this time with a serious face instead of dazed fascination.

“What? You’re an Origin, aren’t you?”

When Noquia asked, Aslan immediately chimed in.

“Yeah, I honestly didn’t get that either. Explain it already. Stop dodging with that excuse about being busy.”

If it had just been Aslan, he could’ve brushed it off. But with Noquia joining in, escape was impossible. Theo gave up and laid out everything he had in mind.

By the time his explanation ended, the two of them were sitting with their chins propped up, deep in thought. They began seriously discussing whether it was possible or not. Since even a strike with a bow’s shaft could trigger a damage judgment, in theory Theo’s plan wasn’t impossible—but the key issue was how much maximum damage he could pull out of such a low-powered hit.

More than anything, the image of Theo wielding the Eternal Fog once the plan was complete stirred their curiosity. Their interest piqued, both of them rolled up their sleeves and decided to help him.

Days passed as Noquia and Aslan searched with Theo for the Kallia Tree. During that time, Theo’s plan spread throughout the guild thanks to guild chat between Theo, Marco, his father, and Noquia. Soon, other guild members also began secretly searching for the tree to assist him.

But even after days turned into more days, not a single clue to the Kallia Tree was found.

Time slipped by without mercy, and it had already been nearly a month since Theo had left the Sanctuary.

Far southeast of the capital, Lucilvania, stood an abandoned fortress. Surrounded by mountain ridges like curtains, neither monsters nor users set foot there. It had long since become a city of wandering beasts instead of humans.

Dark clouds gathered above the desolate stronghold, then thunder and lightning rolled in as heavy rain began to pour. Even the beasts that roamed there vanished into shelter. Within the downpour, something appeared that hadn’t been there a moment before.

It was a man—a user of the game. As if he had teleported in, he suddenly collapsed to the ground, gasping. No—he had fallen. His body was a wreck, as though he had just survived some brutal battle.

Lying face down in the mud, rain pounding on him, he struggled to catch his breath. With trembling arms, he pushed himself up. Both of his forearms, visible beneath his cloak, were covered with dense blue markings down to his fingertips.

Though his condition was wretched, he smiled in delight as he looked at his arms. Then, dragging himself, he crawled under a nearby tree for cover.

His clothes and cloak were drenched, but once under the tree, they dried almost instantly. The rain outside kept hammering down endlessly. Compared to the hell he had just escaped, this peace was surreal.

Quietly, he opened his inventory and checked a few items, smiling again. He couldn’t wait to get back to town, enchant the stats, and try them out.

He stretched out his hand, catching the falling rain, then shook the water off. He didn’t like walking in the rain, but this time he had no choice. He couldn’t wait for it to stop—he needed to get back quickly. Groaning, he stood and prepared to move on. But just then, something at the edge of his vision caught his eye.

Amid the gloomy atmosphere and dim light, a tree covered in blossoms stood in full bloom. There was something uncanny about it. Tilting his head, he shaded his eyes with his hand and hurried toward it. He had a feeling it wasn’t an ordinary tree—and his instincts were often right.

Already soaked again, his body grew heavier, but he made it beneath the tree. Looking it over carefully, he moved closer to the trunk—and at that moment, the prompt ‘Collect’ appeared.

“?”

Startled, he nevertheless began gathering without hesitation. Unlike other resources, this tree took a long time to collect. When it was finished, a new item appeared in his inventory.

“What’s this?”

It didn’t seem like ordinary junk, but there was no usage or detailed description. It must have been an item of a grade he couldn’t yet view.

There was no time to fuss over the unknown. He closed his inventory without hesitation, shaded his head against the rain, and ran off.

Theo, who had been blindly scouring the map, changed his approach. Since the Kallia Tree could only be gathered after soaking in rain, searching randomly was pointless. Instead, he decided to only patrol the areas where it rained. The rain itself felt like a clue, and moving systematically was better than aimlessly wandering.

Standing on Lucilvania’s boulevard, he spread out the world map and scanned for rainy regions. Just then, he felt someone’s gaze and looked up. Across the boulevard, someone was staring straight at him. From that distance, the face wasn’t clear—but there was something familiar about them.

It seemed they were thinking the same, studying him with uncertainty—was he someone they knew, or not? Then the figure suddenly flinched, and quickly began crossing the boulevard. No—he was running.

“Excuse me, do you remember me?”

The man reached him in a rush, face flushed with excitement, breathless words tumbling out. Even his voice was bright with anticipation. Theo blinked slowly, sifting through his memory, then recalled who he was.

“Ah… the Jain Forest?”

The man’s face lit up immediately. His eyes curved beautifully as his face beamed. How could Theo ever forget that face?

His outfit was very different from the first time they met. Wolf ears now sat on his head, and his once plain clothes were gone, replaced with an ornate white cloak embroidered with blue designs and patterns. Beneath the cloak, glimpses of fine clothing showed.

Well, more than a month had passed since then. Plenty of time to grow. His face, the one that could halt thoughts in their tracks, remained the same.

“Back then, I was really grateful.”

As Theo’s eyes traced him up and down, he quickly snapped back to his senses and lifted his head. Their eyes met directly—clear, straightforward eyes. The man smiled shyly. Pure goodwill radiated from him.

Theo didn’t want to waste time—he was busy searching for the Kallia Tree. But faced with someone so overjoyed to see him, he couldn’t cut him off coldly.

“Ah… have you been well since then?”

Closing the map, Theo asked reluctantly. The man nodded eagerly, joy lighting up his face.

“Yes, I’ve been fine! Oh, my name’s Blaine… could I ask yours?”

“Theo.”

He answered without hesitation. Blaine’s face flushed red to his cheeks, overcome with emotion. Theo, facing that expression, felt his whole body stiffen.

Come on. With a face like that? That’s unfair. It’s making my heart race for no reason.