The atmosphere in Giantwood Hollow was heavy, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and ancient trees. Cade stood motionless, his sharp, dark eyes locked on Lyra as she sheathed her blade with practiced ease. She had just taken down the entire group with an almost effortless display of speed and precision. Her hair, catching the faint light breaking through the dense ceiling, wobbled as she turned to face him.
"Hey," she said, stepping closer, her voice laced with irritation. "Are you okay? You've been standing there like a statue for the past minute."
Cade blinked, realizing he had been caught staring. Her skill, her fluid movements—it was hard not to admire them. For a moment, he felt his mind wander, distracted by the way her confidence shone through every step she took.
When she poked his forehead, Cade snapped out of it. He nodded quickly. "Yeah. Thanks. I'm fine."
Lyra's sharp blue eyes flickered down to the small glowing D-Rank insignia hovering faintly beside him, marking his level. Her brows furrowed, and her tone grew sharp. "D-Rank? Seriously?" She sighed and crossed her arms. "What are you even doing here? You do realize that players like you shouldn't be anywhere near Giantwood Hollow, right?"
Her words grated on him. Cade clenched his fists but forced himself to relax, keeping his expression neutral. "I'm managing," he said flatly.
"Managing?" Lyra scoffed. "Barely, I bet. Someone like you has no business wandering around alone in a zone like this. All the other weak players already wised up and ran off to safer areas—or joined stronger guilds. What's your excuse?"
Cade bit back the urge to fire back a snarky comment. Instead, he decided to play along. No need to reveal too much. "Let's just say I've been… away for a while."
Lyra tilted her head, her skeptical expression deepening. "Away? Is this seriously your first time talking to another player?"
"Yeah," Cade said, his tone calm and detached.
She stared at him, dumbfounded. "You've been in this world all this time and never ran into anyone else? What have you been doing, living under a rock?"
"Something like that," Cade replied dryly.
Lyra shook her head, exhaling sharply. "Unbelievable. Look, I'm not in the mood to carry a clueless newbie right now, but you're lucky I've got some time to kill. Sit tight, and I'll fill you in so you don't get yourself killed out here."
Cade didn't respond to her tone, though the condescension in her voice rubbed him the wrong way. He followed her as they made their way to a small NPC-run inn nearby.
The Hollow Hearth Inn was nestled on the edge of a massive tree root, its structure carved directly into the wood. Inside, the atmosphere was warm and welcoming, with faintly glowing mushrooms illuminating the walls. Behind the counter stood an NPC innkeeper, a stout, grumpy-looking man with a permanent scowl etched into his face.
Lyra found them a corner table, and the two sat down. Cade ordered something simple—just some water and bread—while Lyra requested a stew that smelled oddly sweet. As they waited for their food, she leaned forward, folding her arms on the table.
"Alright, listen up. Here's what you need to know." She spoke with authority, her tone a mix of impatience and caution.
"This isn't just a game anymore. Everyone who logged into Hunter's World got pulled in for real. No one knows how or why, but here we are. And if you die here, you die for good. So don't go thinking you can play the reckless hero."
Cade's expression remained impassive, but his mind absorbed every word.
Lyra continued, her voice lowering slightly. "The players split into groups fast. The strong ones? They formed guilds. There are good guilds, like the Skyfrost Alliance or Azure Ascent—they focus on clearing beast zones and helping people level up. Then there are the dark guilds, like Bloodmoon Pact and Laughing Coffin. They don't care about progress. They just get off on hunting other players. Total psychos."
Cade tapped his fingers on the table, his gaze steady on her. "And what about you?"
"I'm solo for now," she said with a shrug. "But that's beside the point. The popular safe zone everyone's flocking to is Sanctum's Gate, the biggest safe zone run by NPCs and some of the top guilds. If you're not strong enough to survive out here, that's where you should be. It's safer. You'll find decent gear, protection, and players who'll teach you how not to die every five seconds."
Cade stayed quiet for a moment, letting her words sink in. "And who's the strongest player here?" he asked, his tone deliberately casual.
Lyra raised an eyebrow. "That would be Ashveil. She's a top-ranked Warrior class Hunter and pretty much untouchable. People say she's cleared zones that even entire guilds couldn't handle."
Cade's lips twitched into a faint smirk at the mention of her name. So, she's here too. His long-time crush, Ashveil, from his streaming days.
Lyra narrowed her eyes at his expression. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing," Cade said, his smirk fading as he leaned back.
Lyra gave him a suspicious look but let it go. "Anyway, most players are adapting. But weaker ones… well, they don't last long. Not to be harsh, but you're lucky you're even alive, D-Rank."
Cade smirked again, a cold glint in his eyes this time. "Yeah. Lucky."
After finishing their meal, Lyra stood up. "Alright. I'll stick with you until we get to Sanctum's Gate. You'll probably get yourself killed otherwise."
Cade gave her a small nod. "Fine by me."
As they approached the innkeeper to book rooms, Cade asked for a single room and haggled the price down to 15 copper coins, using the most basic currency to avoid attention.
"Room six," the gruff NPC grumbled, handing Cade a rusty key.
As Cade turned to leave, he glanced at Lyra. "You want to share?" he teased, his voice cool.
Her face turned bright red as she scowled. "What?! Absolutely not, you creep!"
He chuckled lightly and headed up to his room, letting her fume behind him.
The room was small but cozy, with a single bed and a small table. Cade locked the door behind him and dropped his bag to the floor. His eyes fell on the bed, and he let out a long sigh.
"Finally."
But before collapsing, he opened his system interface. Time to boost my attributes!