Alone with himself, Rick slowed down slightly. His mind, as if on autopilot, continued to process the girl's words that sounded in his ears as echoes of something important that he studiously ignored. "Are you afraid to take care of others?" These words echoed in my head, creating a strange tension. He tried to dismiss them, but his memory brought him back to the days when the game brought joy, when there was still no such fierce desire for victory and self-improvement. Back then, the game was not just a competition, but something more. But now that he was alone, everything had changed.
—Nonsense," he whispered, almost unaware of what he was saying. Silent forced himself to get back to the point: the next goal, the next fight, the next step.
But here it was—this feeling, as if something incomprehensible had already begun to break through the thickness of his defenses, and he didn't even know how important it would turn out to be. From the moment I crossed their paths, everything will change.
The darkness of the forest shrank, as if nature itself did not want to let those who dared to step into its shadow pass. With each step forward, Rick felt the density of this darkness grow, as if it covered him like a spider's web. He held his breath, and at that moment, on the verge of silence, a sound suddenly rang out. It was no ordinary noise. No, it was the sound of war—a growl, the echoes of a steely struggle, and short, wounded screams of pain and despair.
Rick froze. He activated the improved radar setting, and dozens of enemy dots flashed on the interface screen. His experience told him that what was happening here and now was not just a fight, but something more important than he could have imagined. A desperate struggle for survival.
He shifted, pressing himself to the ground, and in a few moments found himself at the edge of the clearing. In the center, like an undisputed leader, he saw her. The girl, her body was battle-hardened, but her eyes shone without losing clarity. It was obvious that she was the commander, given the giving of orders. There was a clear confidence in her movements. Her hair, sprinkled with drops of sweat and blood, shone in the sun like a golden crown, and her voice, like a weapon, penetrated into the very heart of the battle.
"Raiden, let's go! Lia, close Aiko! Taro, bring out the left phalanx! Don't let them surround us!" Her instructions were clear and authoritative. She flashed her sword, blocking the giant wolf's blow.
Her team moved smoothly, as if following a training plan. There was no room for doubt in this group. Each of her colleagues knew what to do, and each of her orders sounded like the absolute truth, like an indisputable law that could not be challenged. But the most amazing thing was how she, without unnecessary words, united these people — so different and so strong. Just like nature itself, she was a part of this battle, an integral part of it.
Rick felt the inner chill recede, and something in his chest trembled for the first time in a long time. He had always been a loner by himself, but here, in front of him, there was something that could make him doubt his habits.
"What is she doing here?" he thought. And then he clenched his fists. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't ignore the fact that this girl wasn't just a leader. She was more than that.
This woman with the nickname Freya moved like the elements themselves. Her thin sword flashed silver, leaving behind bloody footprints and torn bodies of the enemies. She was not just a player — she was a strategist who seemed to be fighting a battle on the level of a chess field, where her every move was thought out to the smallest detail. Rick felt it as soon as his gaze met hers. She didn't just deflect blows, she controlled chaos, causing enemies to fall under the blows of her sword, like wedges into the body of peaceful tyranny.
But there were too many wolves. They didn't just attack. Their black skins blended into the shadows of the forest, and their eyes sparkled with a poisonous green light. It wasn't just a pack of animals. They were killing machines, operating smoothly, like a well-organized army. Each of the wolves was part of a larger plan, bypassing the weak links of the defense. Rick saw how some players start to lose their stamina when fighting multiple enemies at the same time.
"Damn, how fucked up they are..." he cursed to himself, gripping the hilt of the dagger tightly. On the one hand, saving them would be a problem, and he didn't want to be a hero in such a situation. But if they do not stand up, they will not only be destroyed, but also increase the power of the wolves by fattening them, and at the same time, the strengthened wolves will create even more problems in further advancement. And I didn't want to risk it again — one more deadly battle, and I could forget about this raid.
At that moment, one of the wolves broke through the defense and rushed at the healer. Leah, who didn't even have time to scream, stumbled and fell to the ground. The beast was already ready to sink its claws into her stomach, its snarling mouth filled with saliva, and its eyes burned with poisonous fire. But at that moment, Rick couldn't watch anymore. He instantly flew out of his hiding position, the blade in his hand flashed with a bright light, and then he cut through the air, and the wolf burned in pain.
The beast fell, staining Leah with blood, and Rick calmly walked past, not wasting a second on the sight.
Freya noticed his intervention, and her voice cut through the silence like a knife edge.:
"Who are you?"
Rick didn't turn around. He didn't bother with unnecessary words, preferring to speak only to the point.
— "Someone who will save your asses if you listen." — his voice was cold and calculating, foreshadowing neither sympathy nor interest in what will happen next.
She paused for a moment, assessing his tone. There was something sharp and decisive about him, but there was no pride behind it, but experience bordering on fatigue. She flashed a small smile. She's used to it. He was not like the others, who rush from emotions or look for opportunities for pretentious actions. He was cold and precise.
—Okay, show me what you can do," Freya nodded, giving the order. - "Team, support his right flank!"
Rick didn't need any support, but he understood that it was just a form of exchange. He quickly assessed the wolves' alignment: the two alpha males at the head shared the group's attention, controlling the bulk of the battle. A light light flashed in his eyes. Without wasting any time, he dropped the command:
"Kill the right alpha. I'll take over the left one."
Her team silently followed the instruction. Rick was direct, and his words didn't require discussion. Freya wanted to object, but her look at his confident actions stopped her. He was already on the move, walking towards the left alpha without experiencing the slightest hesitation.
The battle has entered a new rage. Rick moved like a shadow, his punches were precise, his steps confident, and each new fight was just a continuation of the past. The alpha wolf, despite her agility and strength, could not cope with what Rick brought to the battle — with composure and incredible speed.
— "You won't survive..." — his last look at the wolf was calm, almost indifferent, but resolute.
Only a couple of minutes later, when the wolf was already falling, he heard screams, and then silence. On the right flank, his order was obeyed. The alpha wolf was defeated. The wolves, who had lost their leaders, scattered in panic, letting out desperate howls like those who realized they had lost.
The forest swallowed them up again, leaving behind only the corpses of wolves covered in blood, which gradually absorbed the cold night air. The silence became even more disturbing than before. It was accompanied by the heavy breathing of the surviving players, who, exhausted, bandaged their wounds. Their eyes, still full of fatigue, looked at each other with an expression that could say, "We're alive, but what's next?"
Rick stood there as if nothing had happened, his face showing neither relief nor triumph. Just a tense look, glancing at the remaining players. He didn't need any praise. For him, everything was just part of the process. He started walking towards the trees.
Right now, these were just his own steps in search of the next test.
Freya, a girl armed to the teeth and with the bearing of a queen, approached the stranger who had just saved her team. There was confidence in her movements, but her gaze was intense, as if she was trying to figure it out. Her eyes were fixed on Silenus, trying to find the slightest hint of the hidden purpose of his actions.
Silent stood by the tree, his figure seemed to be part of this gloomy scene, like a stone merging with the surrounding darkness. He did not move, his face was motionless, but his eyes were cold, calculating. He analyzed every detail: the equipment, the condition of the fighters, their interaction — everything was the subject of attention.
—You made it sound like killing wolves was a normal routine," Freya said, stopping in front of him. Her voice was firm, but there was a hint of respect in it. "I hate to admit it, but we couldn't have done it without your help. Ask for whatever you want, Rick_silen. You've earned your reward."
Rick looked up, his face like it was made of stone. There was no gratitude in his eyes, just cold observation.
"If I hadn't intervened, you wouldn't be here," he replied, without making even the slightest hint of a confession.
Freya's eyes narrowed slightly. She wasn't someone who was used to hearing such things, especially from those who weren't part of her team. Folding her arms across her chest, she replied with chilling coldness:
"Are you always so straightforward? Or do you just like to put people in their place?"
—I'm telling it like it is," his reply was quiet but confident. He put the blade behind his back, taking his time, as if this was all a normal thing for him. "And the truth is rarely pleasant."
The calm but slightly irritated voice of Leah, the team's hiller, rang out from behind Freya.:
"Freya, leave him alone! He just saved our lives. Maybe we shouldn't have an interrogation?"
Freya, without turning around, cast a glance over her shoulder with a slight sneer.:
"Relax, Lia. This is not an interrogation. This is... an introduction."
Leah exhaled loudly, rolling her eyes:
- "Your 'dating' always ends either in fights or long arguments. Sometimes, by the way, both at once."
Raiden, a mage with a stern face and an equally stern look, was sitting nearby on a fallen tree trunk. He broke away from his thoughts and stared at Rick intently, like a hunter noticing something unusual in his prey.
"Freya, he's right. Without him, we would be lying next to these wolves right now. But I have a question for you, Rick_silen."
His voice was steady, but there was a subtle note of doubt in it.
"Why did you come here alone? Even for a pro like you, it's... Boldly."
Rick silently turned his gaze to the magician, his face remained impassive, as if he was considering not a person, but a task that needed to be solved. Finally, he spoke, in a voice as cold as the edge of a blade.:
"I always play alone. No one is covering her back, but no one is going to stick a knife in her either."
These words, uttered almost without emotion, hung in the air like the icy breath of a winter wind. No one interrupted. Even Raiden, known for his sharp tongue, paused for a moment, frowning in puzzlement.
Freya, without taking her eyes off Rick, tilted her head. There was something predatory, appraising in her gaze. She was clearly thinking about what was behind those words.
—You seem to have been through a lot," she finally said, her voice softer but still firm. "But we are not the ones who abandon our own. We fight, we protect each other, and we always come back together. Would you like to come to my place? We could use someone like you. What do you say?"
Her words sounded like a suggestion, but there was an invitation wrapped in a challenge behind them. She took a step closer, as if trying to catch the slightest hint of his reaction.
Rick remained motionless. His dark eyes darted to Freya, tasting her words, but his face was still a mask.
—No," he replied shortly, as if putting an end to the conversation. "I'm not looking for a team. I play for fun."
With that, he turned away, taking a step away, leaving the group with their thoughts and the unsaid.
After a short pause, when only the wind rustled through the leaves, Freya said with a slight sneer:
"Strange is an understatement. He acts like a man who knows much more than he's letting on. People like him are always hiding something."
She ran her fingers over the hilt of her sword, as if weighing her own thoughts.
"But whatever it is, he's obviously a professional. With such skills, a loner can't be random."
Raiden frowned, taking a quick glance at Freya.:
"Do you think he's dangerous?"
—Maybe," she replied shortly, her voice firm, but there was a glint of curiosity in her eyes. "But in a world where danger is everywhere, such allies are rare. Even if they don't understand it themselves."
Leah, still looking in the direction Rick had gone, muttered:
"He may be a loner, but he helped us. That means something."
Freya chuckled, tossing her hair over her shoulder.
"Don't get your hopes up, Lia. He helped not for our sake, but because it suited his purposes. If we're lucky, he'll cross paths with us again. If not, we can handle it ourselves."
She turned to the team, her face once again focused and determined.
"Stop talking. We still have a lot of work to do. Bind up the wounds, check the supplies and get ready for the next rush. It's not safe here."
Raiden nodded, and Leah reluctantly began to sort through the bag, looking for another portion of the healing potion. But she couldn't stop thinking about Silence.
Freya took one last look into the darkness where Rick had disappeared, and said softly, almost to herself.:
"See you again, loner. And then we'll see who you really are."
No one heard it, but her words sounded more like a promise than an assumption.
Freya's eyes flashed, her lips stretched into a barely noticeable, predatory smile, like a predator who has smelled prey.
—But not today," her voice was low but confident, like a commander making a tactical decision. "We're packing up and moving out. We still have to reach the citadel."