Intensive training in Cavern Valley and the search for the No. 003 Return Card

A gauzy mist shrouded Andom Town in the early morning. Dew glimmered on the cobblestones, and a hint of chill lingered in the damp air. The marketplace gradually stirred from its slumber, vendors' cries rising one after another and breaking the town's quiet. "Defense cards, six million Jenny! Miss your chance and you won't get another!" "Flight cards, four million! Miss this offer and wait another year!" The aroma of grilled meat mingled with the freshness of hay and the faint, sharp smell of oilcloth. Flags bearing card numbers snapped in the morning breeze, swaying beneath the rising sun. Players threaded through the market, quietly discussing last night's rumor—the Thunder Giant Lizard leader had been slain, and the figure who had accomplished that feat alone was now walking slowly out of the mist.

Ryan wore a gray cloak, his steps steady beneath his weighted armor, his gaze sharp as a blade, cold and focused. Someone in the crowd recognized him and whispered, "That's the kid who killed the Thunder Giant Lizard last night..." More people instinctively stepped aside, shrinking from his intangible edge. Ignoring the stares around him, Ryan walked straight through the bustling market and pushed open the wooden door of the quest office. Inside the dim room, the NPC Hagu sat behind the counter, expressionless. His voice was mechanical. "Quest completed. Rewards issued." He handed over a bag of Jenny and several low-grade cards, his movements as practiced as a machine's. Ryan accepted the rewards but did not turn to leave. Instead, he asked in a low voice, "The No. 003 Return Card—are there any leads on other ways to obtain it?"

An unusual gleam flickered in Hagu's eyes, as though hidden dialogue had been triggered. After a brief silence, he took a yellowed map scroll and a