The light from the screen was the only source of illumination in the room, and Rick's face was illuminated by a triumphant glow. With fingers still trembling from the strain, he ran over the keys, closing the reward window.
—That was powerful," he muttered, stretching his neck. His muscles ached from sitting for so long, but adrenaline was still pumping through his blood.
On the screen, his character, Silent, stood at the epicenter of the destroyed boss hall. The fire flickered in the corners, slowly dying out, leaving a place of eerie silence. The hero's blades were still covered with crimson reflections, as if they were imbued with the energy of a defeated enemy.
"You're still capable of surprise, old man,— Rick grinned, reaching for a bottle of water.
However, among the awards screen, his gaze stopped on one item. It was a rare amulet, an enchanted crystal with a fiery red glow. The item was part of a kit that Rick had dreamed of a few years ago when he was playing this character.
"Look at that... His voice was full of surprise and a touch of nostalgia. — Part of the old set. It's a sign, Silent. A sign that returning was the right decision. -
He thoughtfully moved the cursor over the image of the amulet, peering into the smallest details. Memories flashed through his mind of how he had once hunted for this kit, how other players had contemptuously refused to help the "invisible Silent". Back then, he was a lonely player, and that loneliness became part of his image.
"Looks like we're back in the game, at least for today," he finally said, pressing the Equip button.
On the screen, Silent flickered with a new, bright light, and his blades shone even more powerfully. A light lit up inside Rick. There was something special about returning to his roots, to an old character who, like himself, did not give up.
"Okay, let's see what awaits us next," he said defiantly, his fingers flicking over the keys again.
It was starting to get light outside, but Rick wasn't bothered. He was in his element today.
The faint glow of rare crystals embedded in the walls barely dispelled the thick darkness of the corridor. Silence exhaled slowly, sheathing the crimson blades. A pile of molten stone—all that was left of the giant fire golem—was smoking under his feet.
"Another farce,— he said softly, looking around the room. It seemed that nothing but dead silence disturbed the peace of the dungeon.
— Hey, you!
The voice sounded harsh and unexpected. Silent tensed, his hands on the hilts of his daggers with lightning speed. He turned around, ready to meet the enemy.
A man stepped out of the shadows. He looked like an ordinary player armed with a sword. His armor looked tattered, and his movements showed fatigue. Two more girls were walking slowly behind him.
"Your reflexes are impressive," the stranger said with a smile, raising his hands in a sign of peaceful intentions.
Silent didn't answer, just narrowed his eyes. There were still no markings on his radar.
"Who are you?" "What is it?" he asked coldly, without relaxing his grip.
—Calm down, I'm not an enemy," the man replied. "My name is Hiro. I'm... a survivor."
Silent raised an eyebrow slightly. Hiro looked like he had recently emerged from a fierce battle, but his calmness and smile aroused suspicion.
Silent glanced at the strange trio. Their animations looked natural, but he wasn't convinced. After all, his radar was silent, and in this game that could only mean one thing: the system had either crashed or someone had tricked it.
— Thank you for your help, — the guy took a step forward, raising his hand in a greeting gesture. His armor was pitted, and his breastplate was covered in blood, clearly not his own. — We thought we were finished.
The voice was full of relief, but Silent sensed the falsity. He did not relax his tense muscles, preparing for a possible attack.
"Don't thank me ahead of time," he replied coldly, without taking his eyes off their leader. "Who are you?"
The guy pretended not to notice the disbelief in his voice and hurried to answer.:
— We are a regular group of players. The fourth wave of monsters took us by surprise, and this golem... He paused, obviously choosing his words. — Anyway, it's just the three of us.
Silence slowly shifted his gaze to the girls. One of them was holding a staff, and her clothes were standard low—level magical attire, worn but functional. The second one looked like Hiller: a white robe, icons on her chest, extinguished potions on her belt.
"And you decided to hide until I did all the work?" He remarked sarcastically, interlacing his fingers on the hilts of his blades.
— It's not like that! — the guy hastily objected. — We were looking for an opportunity to get out. But you... You turned out to be a real savior.
Silent just grunted, but his hands never left the hilt.
"And now what?" His voice sounded like he was addressing the void. — You thanked me, and that's it?
"We would like to propose to unite," the guy finally said, taking another step forward. — Together we could go deeper into the dungeon.
Silent froze. His lips twitched, as if from a slight smile.
"Together?" "What is it?" he repeated, as if trying the word out. — And how are you going to be useful?
The mage tensed slightly, but Hiller stepped forward, speaking in a soft, soothing voice.:
"We know this dungeon. Going alone is dangerous even for a master like you.
Silenus's eyes narrowed. She was playing on his weaknesses, but she was making it too obvious.
"Dangerous?" He slowly drew one of his blades, a crimson glow filling the space around him. — I just proved the opposite.
There was a tense pause.
"We have information about the final boss,— the mage finally said softly. Her voice was barely audible, but the words struck a chord.
Silent raised the blade, examining the reflection in its blade. Rick silently clutched the blade, his gaze, imbued with distrust and suspicion, did not look away from strangers, the information about the boss was of little concern. His eyes reflected not only aggression, but also a cold determination honed by years of playing. He didn't move, as if waiting for the moment when his doubts would be justified, but something else bothered him.
— How did you escape my radar? His voice was flat, but there was steel in it.
The guy in front of him shuddered, as if he felt the weight of this question. He just stood there for a few seconds, not knowing how to respond, then he forced himself to:
—I... uh... we... it's…
"This is my passive ability! One of the girls interrupted him. She took a step forward, her figure swaying with fatigue, but her voice sounded firm. — I have a disguise skill, one of the upgrades. True, its effect is short, but it was enough for us to survive. In small print, not everyone noticed.
Rick remained motionless. He had been in the game for so many years that he knew all the updates by heart. This minor clarification passed by his attention, and he felt irritation begin to boil in him.
"Really?" — he said slowly, not letting go of the blade. His gaze was as sharp as a blade. "I missed something."
He pulled out three vials of green liquids from his inventory—healing potions. They weren't particularly valuable, but they were exactly what was needed in this situation. Rick unceremoniously threw them at the group's feet, causing the vials to roll across the floor.
"Drink while you have a chance," he said. His voice was neutral, but there was something in his tone that made me doubt whether I should trust him.
The girl with the disguise lowered her head, taking the potions. She looked tired, but her gaze was sincere, and Rick, although he didn't trust her, noticed that there was no hidden deception in that look. Hiro took a step forward and spoke again.
"We are not enemies," he said with difficulty, but his words seemed sincere. "We really need help." We found the artifact, but with it came... them.
Rick listened without saying a word. Every muscle in his body was tense, every nerve ready to react to any threat. He didn't trust them, but the words "artifact" caught his attention.
"An artifact?" His voice was low, and there was a chill in his words. He carefully assessed every move in front of him.
—So you're saying that you came here for some ancient artifact?" Why should I believe you?
The girl with the disguise glanced at him, her eyes full of determination and tension, but she didn't object.
"We're not talking about a simple subject,— she said. — This artifact can change everything. We didn't know we were going to face this. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be here anymore.
Rick just stared at them. He saw something in their faces that reminded him of the truth. Not the perfect truth, but still the sincerity in their intentions.
"So the artifact was taken by monsters?" Rick asked, because all the players knew that the intelligence of stronger creatures was much higher, and they could build good tactics to destroy players, mostly beginners, by throwing such artifacts as bait.
—Yes, they went north," Hiller replied. Silent lost interest after hearing about this and started walking away.
The girl's voice sounded suddenly and loudly:
— Wait!
Rick froze, but didn't turn his head. The shadows seemed to swallow him up as soon as he moved. He didn't feel the need to turn around. Before answering, Silent felt the tension in the air increase.
"Why don't you want to join us?" You're strong, one of the strongest players I've ever seen. With you, we could have completed this dungeon completely, and you would have received a decent reward! Her words sounded sincere, but there was an urgency in them, not a request.
Rick didn't stop. His voice was as cold as ice, and there was a hint of detachment in it.
— I'm used to working alone. The answer sounded so mechanical that even he himself felt that the question no longer mattered.
He took a step forward, but her next question seemed to pierce through him, making his heart stop for a second.
Are you really such a loner, or are you just afraid that you'll have to take care of others?
Rick stopped for a moment, his feet digging into the stone. Those words, coming out of her mouth, touched a line that he always tried to keep under control. That deep and dark corner of his soul, where he wouldn't let anyone in, wouldn't even let himself think about it.
Everything froze. It was as if the air itself had become heavy, and every sound, every movement seemed too loud. But Rick, without turning around, still let out an answer.
"I'm not interested in what you think. I play to win, not to help anyone. Rick replied coldly and continued, "Besides, clearing the dungeon 100% is not part of my plans, and what can you do?
He made a pause. This time, his words were barely audible, but they contained all his cold dislike.
— I hate abuzah.
With that, he stepped into the shadows, disappearing into the dungeon corridor. His figure disappeared into the darkness, leaving behind only an empty echo of his footsteps. The group stood stunned, stunned not so much by his words as by how easily he said goodbye to them. They didn't know what exactly Rick wanted to hide, but the tension in the air made them think. Who was this man who had so cruelly cut them off from his reality?