Riverwood Town

The mist cleared.

After many years in exile, the little town once again appeared beneath the sunlight. With the Shadow Phantom's death, the darkness that had bound the town finally vanished as well.

Rhode sheathed his sword and stared at the pile of white dust on the ground before him—the remains of the Shadow Phantom. In the sunlight, it gave off a soft glow. Rhode fell silent for a moment, then crouched and picked out a translucent, milky-white gem.

The Soul Core.

It was no surprise that a boss-level creature would drop a Soul Core. After all, anything powerful enough to qualify as a boss possessed considerable magical power. Years of accumulation made Soul Cores more likely to form within them than in ordinary magical beasts. Now, this one had become Rhode's spoils.

But Rhode didn't waste much time on it. He quickly gathered his things, then turned and walked toward the plaza entrance with heavy, tired steps. His fight with the Shadow Phantom hadn't taken much out of him physically, but mentally, he was exhausted. Rhode's face gave nothing away, but his weary pace said enough.

When Rhode reappeared, Lize and Mace finally breathed a sigh of relief. They hurried over and anxiously asked how he was. But, to their surprise, Rhode didn't seem in very high spirits. He gave them a few brief, matter-of-fact answers, then changed the subject, clearly unwilling to say more.

Seeing Rhode's reaction, Lize and Mace exchanged curious glances, but didn't press him. They could tell he wasn't in a good mood. They had no idea what had happened while he was facing the Shadow Phantom in the thick fog, but it was obvious Rhode didn't want to talk about it.

Lize was a clever girl, and Mace was a merchant who had seen plenty. Since Rhode was in a bad mood, they were sensible enough to keep quiet and leave the subject alone.

In truth, though, they didn't dwell on the mystery of the Shadow Phantom for long. Before long, their attention had shifted to something else—they were finally getting out of this godforsaken place!

To be honest, only two or three days had passed between the Airship's crash and the three of them emerging from the mountain pass. But the dangers along the way had made it feel like several weeks. The perilous forest, the sudden attacks, the eerie little town—all that pressure had been almost suffocating.

That was why, when the three of them saw the town at the foot of the mountain, even Rhode, usually so composed, looked relieved. The portly merchant was practically ecstatic, as if he'd escaped death, while Lize could barely contain her excitement.

Riverwood Town lay at the foot of the Paffield Mountains, in a peaceful border region. In the game, its proximity to the Dusk Forest had made it a gathering place for new players. Rhode had spent some time here back then, and knew every blade of grass and every tree. He could even name most of the people here off the top of his head. Still, as he walked along the quiet streets and saw people who had once existed only in the game now living, breathing humans, he couldn't help feeling strange.

They still had plenty to do, but for now, a soft, comfortable bed and delicious food were their top priorities. After filling their stomachs at the inn, the three of them eagerly threw themselves onto the soft beds and promptly fell into a deep sleep.

By the time Rhode opened his eyes, it was already the following afternoon.

The sunlight outside was soft and warm, spilling through the wooden window onto the floor and bringing with it a comfortable, lazy feeling.

"Phew..."

Rhode let out a breath. He held up his hand, studying the scars on it, then moved his body to test it. A dull ache still lingered in the left side of his chest, dragging his hazy consciousness back to reality.

This wasn't a dream.

For the first time, Rhode truly felt that he was living in this world.

The past few days had been chaotic and dangerous, leaving him with a blurred, unreal feeling. Several times, Rhode had woken from a dream thinking he was still dreaming—that the battles and monsters were just unconscious echoes of playing too many games. But now that the danger had passed and peaceful life lay before him once again, that sense of reality had grown all the stronger.

So, where should he go from here?

"Knock, knock, knock."

A low, subdued knock interrupted Rhode's thoughts. He looked up at the door.

"Come in."

At Rhode's words, the door slowly opened, and a blonde girl stepped inside. She carried clean bandages and a basin of water. Seeing Rhode sitting on the bed, she first gave him a warm, lively smile, then asked,

"Mr. Rhode, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Nothing to worry about."

Rhode gave a slight nod in response to her concern. He wasn't exactly warm, but Lize seemed used to his manner by now. She simply smiled, came over to him, and began preparing to change his bandages.

Watching the girl lower her head, Rhode could only smile wryly to himself. It wasn't that he didn't want to be friendlier. Putting on a poker face wasn't much fun; he was past the age of trying to look cool, and there was nothing interesting about it.

But Rhode couldn't change. It came from a deeply ingrained habit. When he was little, people often mocked him for looking like his younger sister, calling him "a sissy." That was hardly a compliment to a boy. Rhode had always been self-conscious about his face, so when he entered Dragon Soul Continent, he hadn't chosen the advanced "scan and recreate" technology that many players used. Instead, he'd picked one of the game's preset character models. At the time, he'd been too young to do anything about the teasing, so all he could do was act as cold as possible and rarely smile, to show that he was a man, not some delicate girl.

Everyone went through an awkward phase like that. As he grew older, Rhode stopped obsessing over such trivial things. Unfortunately, he soon realized the habit had taken root and was nearly impossible to change. Later, he became the leader of the most powerful online guild in all of Dragon Soul Continent. He had to remain calm and reserved to lead and manage the guild, and now that his personality was set, changing it wasn't easy.

But those were minor concerns.

The pain in his wound brought Rhode back to the present. As he watched the girl gently wipe the injury on his chest, another thought came to him.

"Lize."

"Yes, Mr. Rhode?"

"What are you planning to do from now on?"

At Rhode's question, the girl's body trembled slightly. Her hands paused for a moment, then she sighed and lowered her head in resignation.

"To be honest, I'm not sure, Mr. Rhode."

"What about your companions? Don't you have anywhere to go back to?"

"Even if I went back, I'd be the only one left..."

Lize's voice grew heavy.

"And the mercenary group is about to disband, too."

I see.

Listening to Lize, Rhode finally understood her situation.

Mercenary organizations in Dragon Soul Continent were divided into three ranks. The lowest was the mercenary squad, usually made up of five or six adventurers, and never more than ten. Such organizations were very loose and had few rules. Anyone could form one, as long as they registered with the Mercenary Association.

The next rank was the mercenary group, which had at least ten members. Unlike the loosely organized squads that could split up as easily as they formed, mercenary groups operated on a more formal footing. They had to submit official documents to the Mercenary Association, and in return, they received some assistance from the Association. They could even establish a base of their own.

Above them were mercenary guilds, each with more than a hundred members. These guilds were powerful, with bases and fortresses of their own, and could even receive direct support from the government or merchant associations. Some of the largest mercenary guilds even had their own territory and cities, giving them considerable influence.

These ranks weren't just a matter of strength and reputation. They also affected what missions the organizations could accept. A mercenary squad couldn't take on a guild-level mission. Even if it tried, the Mercenary Association would turn it down, and even if the squad somehow completed the mission, it wouldn't be recognized. Of course, an ordinary mercenary squad wouldn't have the strength to complete a guild-level mission anyway.

Mercenary groups and guilds enjoyed quite a few privileges, but they also faced pressure. The Mercenary Association graded each organization according to the danger level of its missions and how many it completed. At the end of the year, any mercenary group whose score fell below the passing mark would be disbanded by force. Even mercenary guilds could be forcibly demoted to mercenary groups.

That was part of the reason Lize was so downcast. Her mercenary group had originally been a small, mid-sized outfit with a dozen or so members. Now, after this mission, she was its only survivor—not even the group leader had made it. The group simply couldn't carry on like that. It was still spring, with a long time left before year's end, but Lize couldn't support a mercenary group on her own. Besides, she was only a Spirit Master, with no combat ability. Even if she tried to work alone, she wouldn't have the strength for it. As things stood, her mercenary group had no choice but to disband. And as a Spirit Master, a special support class, she wouldn't have trouble joining another group.

But it seemed Lize had no intention of leaving.

"You don't want to leave?"

At Rhode's question, the girl nodded firmly.

"Yes, Mr. Rhode. They were the first people to take me in. And here, everyone felt like family to me... I—I really don't want this mercenary group to disappear."

Lize's eyes reddened, but she bit her lip and didn't waver.

"They're gone now, but at least... at least I want to keep trying to prove that we can stay together."

"But as things stand, if you can't find enough people, it's only a matter of time before the group disbands."

"Yes."

Lize didn't deny it. She knew the problem well, but she wasn't ready to give up.

"But I still don't want to give up, Mr. Rhode. Like you told me before, if I'm alive, I should do something meaningful. I still don't know how much I can do, but I want to try."

Looking at the girl's resolute expression, Rhode suddenly had an idea. He fell silent for a moment, then spoke.

"Then I have a proposal."

"What proposal, Mr. Rhode?"

At Rhode's words, Lize hurriedly looked up at him, her gaze tense. She hadn't known Rhode for long, but his knowledge and strength had left a deep impression on her. The Wind Serpent, the Silver Wolf, and the Wraith were all monsters she had never encountered, or even heard of. She was sure many mercenaries had never seen them either, yet Rhode knew their weaknesses and habits as if he had studied them. It was almost unbelievable. Unlike Mace, she hadn't idly speculated about Rhode's true identity. There was no need for that among adventurers. It was enough to know that he was formidable.

Lize thought she was prepared for whatever he might say, but Rhode's next words still left her staring at him in shock, unable to speak.

"If you're willing, hand the mercenary group over to me."