RageHeart's significant regard for Mia led him to maintain his gaze on her for a while.
However, after the battle with the undead knights, his estimation of Mia lessened.
It wasn't rooted in any form of extreme disdain though; rather, RageHeart genuinely wondered about her proximity to Ethan.
Though it wasn't his concern, RageHeart's inherent curiosity persisted.
The first time he set eyes on Ethan and Mia amidst the clearing, he initially believed her to be his renowned duo partner, RedQuiver.
As RedQuiver's name subtly implied, she excelled as an archer.
During the era when both Ethan and Mia were carving their niches in the gaming world, they enjoyed a modest degree of recognition, but nothing that could rival the colossal fame they now commanded.
RageHeart himself had experienced a degree of prominence due to his early entry into the gaming realm then.
However, similar to them, at that time his past achievements paled in comparison to the grandeur of his current standing.
Yet, these intricacies held secondary importance in his contemplations.
RedQuiver was known in gaming circles as Aurora's close friend.
Unlike Aurora, RedQuiver belonged to a guild, and this guild was at a higher level than the one RageHeart was part of.
In a nutshell, RedQuiver was a strong player and a friend of another powerful player.
Both friends were recognized for preferring to play solo, except when they teamed up.
The difference was that RedQuiver was more open to collaborating with others compared to Aurora.
Because RageHeart was aware of Aurora's tendency to keep a small circle, he initially thought Mia might be the widely recognized RedQuiver when he first saw the. This made him a bit disappointed when he realised Mia wasn't RedQuiver and also not a player he knew.
To RageHeart, whose gaming style was a bit like that of a business manager, unknown players usually didn't concern him. So, he didn't attach much importance to Mia. Still, he thought that if she could make someone like Aurora follow her, she should have some skills. But what did he witness during the fight with the undead knights? She turned out to be of little use.
Actually, Mia was the kind of player most top players disliked – someone who weighed them down.
RageHeart was beginning to wonder why Aurora still appeared intent on protecting Mia, despite her apparent uselessness in a fight.
Could Aurora be a man easily swayed by a woman's beauty? RageHeart doubted it.
Compared to 'her', Mia shouldn't possess the allure to so thoroughly captivate Aurora's thoughts merely with her looks.
This left RageHeart wondering about Mia's influence on Aurora. It piqued his curiosity.
However, RageHeart didn't dwell on his questions for long. It wasn't truly his concern, and his past conversations with Aurora had given him an impression that Aurora knew what he was doing.
After brushing aside his thoughts on this matter, RageHeart moved closer to the body of the undead knight he had just dispatched.
Meanwhile, Ethan was doing the same.
Before either of them could inspect their 'dead' foes though, the undead knights' bodies started to dematerialize unexpectedly, catching both Ethan and RageHeart off guard.
In a split second, a bell-like sound resonated in their minds. Reacting promptly, both Ethan and RageHeart mentally assessed their status.
---------
Status Name: -Aurora-
Level: -1-
Class: -Mage-
Experience: -18-/-100-
Attribute Stats:
- Strength: -13-
- Agility: -14-
- Intelligence: -17-
- Constitution: -11-
Attribute Values: Strength: 1.3, Agility: 1.4, Intelligence: 1.7, Constitution: 1.1
Attribute Points: -0-
- Coins: -0-
- Active Quests:
- [Survive the tutorial grounds]
- Inventory:
- [Level 1 Low Common Grade Staff]
- [Level 1 Low Uncommon Grade Health Potion x1]
- [Level 1 Low Uncommon Grade Mana Potion x1]
- Skills:
- [Analyse]
- [Loot]
- [Level 0 Mana Ball]
- [Level 0 Mana Missiles]
- Abilities:
- Friend Status:
- Friendling List-
- Map:
----------
System Notification:
- [10 Exp Gained]
- [You have slain a {Normal Grade}Level 1 Undead Knight]
-----------
"So, no bodies, huh?" Ethan muttered aloud. Despite his tone seeming slightly annoyed, his emotions were more of surprise and contentment. In fact, he was quite pleased.
For one, he had gained 10 EXP points from slaying the undead knight, a substantial increase of 6 points compared to eliminating a wolf. Ethan's gamer mindset revealed in this accomplishment.
While the sudden dematerialization of the undead knight's body was unexpected, Ethan had no intention of touching it, let alone adding it to his inventory.
After thoroughly reviewing his status for any additional changes and finding none, Ethan closed the status window with a satisfied nod.
As he took a final survey of his surroundings, Ethan was on the verge of speaking when he came to a realisation.
"I forgot to cast a skill!"