Ever get that gut-punch moment where time just... stops? Like you're smack in the middle of chaos—crowd roaring, energy thick in the air—and then bam, someone walks in and everything freezes. That's exactly what happened.
She walked in.
The elite adventurer. The same one who bailed early from the dungeon run while I was still crawling through hell. And now? She was back—and headed straight for me.
I swear, the second she stepped into view, it felt like the world hit pause. Her stride? Effortless. Confident. Like she owned the ground under every step. For one surreal heartbeat, the noise faded, and it was just her and me in that moment—like the climax of some action-romance anime.
She stopped, looked down, locked eyes with me. Her gaze scanned every bruise, every scrape—the aftermath of getting decked by some drunk bastard who mistook me for a thief.
"What the hell happened to you?" she asked.
And just like that, I told her everything. From the false accusation to the sucker punch, to the judgmental crowd that stood by like I was nothing but trash. I laid it all bare.
Then, something in her shifted.
You need to understand—this wasn't just anyone. She's a damn legend. A top-tier explorer with fan clubs, battle scars, and tales that echoed through the guild halls. Even the prince himself had hyped her up, practically starstruck. She had the look too: orange tracksuit with a bold yellow cape, red gloves, heavy boots—and that fiery ponytail tipped in white, like the brushstroke of a fox spirit.
But the second she realized what had gone down?
The switch flipped.
One minute, she was calm. Composed. Collected.
The next, she snapped—like a storm detonating from the inside out. Her presence flooded the market like a tidal wave of fury. The warmth in her eyes turned sharp. Cold. Dangerous.
It wasn't just rage—it was legendary wrath. The kind that makes grown warriors freeze in their tracks. The crowd went quiet. Even the air felt heavier, like it was holding its breath.
You could feel it—if anyone dared breathe wrong, the whole place was going to implode.
And me? I just stood there thinking:
"Oh, hell. This is about to get real."
And this? This was just the beginning.
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To be continued…