The scorching desert sun was relentless, mercilessly burning down on Seo-ah's back. She wiped the sweat from her brow, staring into the dry Well before her with disbelief. The Well she had fought so hard to reach—her prize for conquering the dreaded Lizardmen temple—was nothing but a barren hole in the ground.
Her muscles ached, her throat was parched, and her summons… well, what remained of them had fallen in battle during her first and second dungeon attempts. She had made it here alone. And for what? A fucking dry well.
"Damn it," she hissed, kicking a loose rock into the pit. Her legs gave out beneath her, and she fell to her knees, pressing her palms into the hot sand. Her vision blurred as she struggled to stay conscious, every breath feeling like fire in her chest.
How long had it been since she had a proper drink? Days? She had lost count.
Normally, she prided herself on being resourceful, someone who didn't need to rely on others. But now? A minute she was in the library studying for the CSAT, and the next, this shit hole in the middle of a desert, made to grow a village in the middle of nowhere. A cottage couldn't even be erected.
The situation was dire. She didn't have enough time to make the trek back to her 'A-Rank' domain before collapsing from dehydration. Even her potions from the Airdrops had run dry after that last Lizardman ambush.
Desperation clawed at her insides. Her pride wouldn't let her beg—never—but survival trumped pride now.
[NOTICE]: Lord Seo-ah has achieved the First Dungeon Clear!
The global system notification brought no comfort. She stared at it blankly, her dry lips twitching into a humorless smile.
[NOTICE]: Lord Seo-ah has achieved the First Solo Dungeon Clear!
She had won… but it was a hollow victory.
She needed water.
Her mind flickered back to something she had seen in the global chats. The name had come up more than once, usually in some ridiculous context. GoblinQueen. She had dismissed it as just another player persona, someone probably basking in attention. But she had also heard that GoblinQueen's domain had resources. Maybe even water.
Could she really stoop this low? Beg for help from someone she didn't know? Someone with a reputation for being... well, strange, if the rumors were true?
Her throat constricted painfully, and her vision swam again.
There wasn't much of a choice left.
…
Meanwhile, in Atlas' domain…
Ding! You have received a direct message.
The notification blinked in the corner of her vision, catching her off-guard. She rarely received messages since Kelsey filtered out most of the nonsense.
Curious, she flicked open her chat menu.
Sender: Lord Seo-ah
Message: I need your help.
Atlas raised an eyebrow. "Seo-ah? The one who just cleared that dungeon?"
[Interesting. That's the Asian girl, right? Thought they didn't use real names here.]
"Are you seriously being sarcastic right now?" Atlas retorted.
She leaned back against the trunk of the tree, biting her lip. What could a high-ranked lord like Seo-ah want from her?
"She doesn't need my skeletons, that's for sure."
[Maybe she needs a friend.]
Atlas snorted. "Yeah, I'm sure that's it."
Without thinking too much, she opened a direct reply window and typed a quick response:
Atlas: What could you possibly want from me?
Seconds passed before the reply came, and Atlas couldn't help but smirk at the message.
Seo-ah: Water.
Atlas blinked, her expression shifting from smug amusement to confusion. Water? This was unexpected. She had been bracing herself for a different kind of request—something more strategic, more... intense. But water?
"Well, well, well," Atlas mused aloud, climbing down from her perch. "Looks like someone's in a tight spot."
[You could trade, you know. Make her owe you. Think about it—someone with that kind of power in your debt could be useful.]
Atlas glanced at the dry ground beneath her feet. She had water, sure, but this wasn't about resources. This was about power. She grinned to herself, already imagining how she could use this to her advantage.
"Let's see how desperate she really is."
…
Back in the desert…
Seo-ah slumped against the Well's edge, her body trembling from the heat. The moments dragged on, each second without a reply from GoblinQueen weighing on her mind. What if she refused? What if she just ignored her plea altogether?
Suddenly, her chat window flashed.
Atlas: Water, huh? You're really that desperate? What's in it for me?
Seo-ah's hand trembled as she tried to steady herself enough to respond.
Seo-ah: I have nothing to offer.
Her pride burned as she typed the words. She had never felt so powerless before.
Another pause, and then:
Atlas: Lucky for you, I'm in a good mood. I'll help you. But you owe me. Big time.
Seo-ah stared at the message for a long moment before finally typing:
Seo-ah: Understood.
---
In Atlas' domain...
Atlas closed the chat window, a sly smile spreading across her face. "Looks like we're making a new friend, Kelsey."
Atlas' eyes gleamed with anticipation. "I'll send her the water. Let's see where this goes."
—
[JustFriends]:
How the hell did she clear the Desert Temple solo? That's a C-Rank dungeon!
[PoisonIvy]:
And it's only her third attempt? No one's seen her on the rankings before!
[ClassicDad]:
You know what this means, right? She's aiming for GoblinQueen's throne.
[LetHimCook]:
@ClassicDad Don't be ridiculous! She doesn't stand a chance.
[LeaveMeAlone]:
I WANNA GO HOME~ I WANNA GO HOME~
[JustFriends]:
@LetHimCook Don't be stupid. She took down a C-Rank dungeon in a desert, alone. None of us have done that!
[PickyEater]:
I've been saying it for weeks, GoblinQueen's reign is coming to an end. She may be smart, but a solo dungeon clear like that? Seo-ah's a beast.
[CrabKing]:
Careful, boys. Underestimating GoblinQueen's ability to adapt has been the downfall of many. Even Seo-ah isn't foolish enough to challenge her directly.
And speaking of Seo-ah, where even is she now?
[Spin360]:
@CrabKing Your downfall, you mean.