"Shall we talk inside the tent?" Kizmel suggested, gently lifting the fabric flap of the nearby tent.
Ren flinched slightly. His eyes flicked toward the white wolf lying watch outside, then stopped at the empty space beyond the curtain.
Only now did he realize why Kizmel had drawn her sword so suddenly earlier, he must have looked like some shady guy snooping around someone's dwelling, standing that close to their pet, no less.
No one likes a stranger lingering near their place of rest, especially when that stranger's appearance stirs… suspicion.
Kirito and Asuna had already stepped inside the tent at some point, looking perfectly at ease, as if this had been their base of operations for a long time. They had changed out of their armor and into casual, comfortable clothes, which only made Ren feel more out of place.
He hesitated a bit before following. This was his first time entering someone else's dwelling in this world. Calling it a "home" might not be entirely accurate, but the warmth and privacy of the space were undeniable.
Inside was a modest yet cozy interior. The floor was layered with dry grass and animal fur, giving off a gentle wild scent that filled the air.
At the center stood a small metal fireplace, cleverly placed on a flat stone base. It served both to warm the room and heat water or food.
The orange flame cast dancing shadows on the fabric ceiling—like a vague, shapeless dream drifting across it.
Though small, the tent had something that made you want to sit down and stay a while.
Ren glanced left, then right.
'Should I take off my shoes?' he wondered silently, his eyes drifting down toward his feet.
As if reading his mind, Kizmel said softly, "No need. I'm not familiar with human customs, but… in a military camp, it's best to be ready for anything."
Ren looked at her. Sure enough, she was still in full armor, standing straight like a knight on guard duty. He nodded slightly and cautiously sat down near the fire.
At that moment, the black wolf approached silently. Its glossy fur shimmered under the firelight, and its amber eyes glinted with intelligence and calm.
It sniffed Ren gently… then, unexpectedly, lowered itself and curled up right beside him, as if they had known each other for a long time.
Kizmel blinked in surprise. "How strange," she said, her gaze following the creature.
"I didn't think it would warm up to anyone besides my sister… Even Asuna, who's cared for it these past few days, hasn't been treated like that."
Ren could feel eyes on him Asuna's, tinged with a hint of jealousy… perhaps confusion too.
But he pretended not to notice, keeping his eyes fixed on the flickering fire, one hand resting lightly on the wolf's back as it dozed beside him.
Ren recounted his time since the battle with the first floor boss, his tone even, unembellished.
He didn't mention the strange discoveries he'd made in the dungeon beneath the Starting Town.
There was no need. He didn't want his friends to overthink things like that.
He summarized his story in a few broad strokes, just enough to let them know he had survived… in his own way.
In contrast, when Kirito and Asuna took turns describing their journey from Floor Two to Three, the mood shifted, becoming suddenly lively.
Fierce battles, hidden mechanisms, names of sub-bosses… Ren listened in silence, occasionally raising an eyebrow at details he'd never seen posted on any player bulletin boards.
He hadn't expected them to have come this far, this fast. The rumors on the forums seemed to barely scratch the surface.
As for Kizmel, she didn't seem to care about their stories.
The Dark Elf's eyes remained fixed on the flickering fire, her expression calm yet distant.
Perhaps she'd already heard it all from Kirito and Asuna. Or perhaps… she simply didn't see anything particularly special in the human obsession with leveling and achievements.
"Well then, Kirito, Asuna, Ren," Kizmel said at last, rising to adjust the strap of her belt, "I'll go take a bath. Asuna, would you like to come with me?"
Asuna glanced at Kirito and Ren, who were hunched over, discussing a longsword, likely a newly acquired quest reward. Her gaze lingered on the two for a moment before turning to Kizmel. She nodded.
"Yeah, I'll go."
Ren watched the two figures disappear into the mist beyond the trees, saying nothing for a while. The nighttime wind whispered through the canopy above, carrying the distinct chill of the third floor forest.
"…Hey," he said softly after a few beats, just loud enough for Kirito to hear, "I heard… you and Asuna are dating?"
Kirito paused. His eyes stayed on the sword in his hand, but the smile at the corner of his lips slowly faded.
"Rumors travel fast."
A flicker of irritation passed over Kirito's face, followed by a trace of regret, a rare, softer expression that stood in contrast to his usual cool composure. Ren frowned slightly. That change hadn't escaped him.
Kirito seemed to realize he was showing too much. He quickly waved a hand, brushing the idea aside with a forced smile.
"It's just… a rumor. We're a team, conquering floors together. That's all."
"That's all?" Ren asked, his tone even.
"Yeah. Really."
"…Mm."
A short silence fell between them. Only the gentle crackling of the fire remained… and the steady breathing of the black wolf beside them.
Then Kirito spoke again, this time in a lower voice:
"Hey, Ren… have you ever felt like… this world is too real, more than a game should be?"
Ren didn't answer right away. He continued to quietly stroke the smooth, glossy fur of the wolf beside him.
The Lang Hound let out a low whimper, pressing its head into his palm like a loyal pet that had lived alongside its master for many years.
Kirito stared at it, as if trying to find an explanation in those glowing golden eyes.
"I mean..." Kirito continued, "...that Elf War event. It stretches all the way to the tenth floor. When it triggers, players encounter two battling Elves, each from a different tribe. Usually, you just pick a side. The storyline then plays out in a fairly straightforward way."
"If you choose the Dark Elves, you witness one of their warriors sacrifice themselves to protect you. They hold off the enemy while you carry the holy relic back."
He paused. His voice dropped even lower.
"But this time… Kizmel didn't die. She kept fighting alongside us. It's not like the usual script. She's really strong. And… something is changing."
Ren still didn't reply. But now his eyes no longer lingered on Kirito. Instead, they drifted far into the mist beyond the trees, where the two figures had just vanished.
Kirito hesitated briefly, then went on.
"...Their AI is completely different from the Beta. They no longer feel like lines of code programmed to react a certain way. I can sense sadness... anger... joy… all of it feels vivid and real."
His gaze returned to the wolf.
"This wolf… Kizmel said it's a Lang Hound, trained by her younger sister. But her sister… was killed during a raid when the Forest Elves tried to seize the Holy Relic."
Ren lifted his head to look at Kirito, leaning in slightly to hear better.
"And that's why Kizmel and her sister's fiancé decided to enter this forest," Kirito continued. "To hunt down the one responsible for her death."
Ren looked down at the wolf again, heart heavy. Then, he asked softly:
"What about… him? The fiancé?"
Kirito was silent for a moment. His eyes lowered.
"He's dead. On the very first day we got caught up in the mess on this floor… He took a fatal blow to protect Asuna."
Ren exhaled gently. Something in this story made his chest ache.
"Their enemy," Kirito said, his voice hardening, "is a high-ranking commander of the Forest Elves. He's not just the mastermind, he also tamed a giant eagle… the kind of creature that even Beta testers who reached floors 8 or 9 in Aincrad were wary of."
Ren didn't respond. He simply bowed his head again, gently running his fingers through the black fur of the wolf lying beside him.
Its body was still warm, soft, and quivering slightly with each breath, alive, as if carrying a piece of this world's soul.
Somewhere deep in his mind, Aisen's image surfaced.
His face had been partly hidden by the night, but Ren still remembered his eyes clearly, the eyes of someone who had lost something irreplaceable, yet still tried to hold on to what little remained.
There was no anger, no visible pain… only a quiet sadness, a hint of self-blame, as if he believed he was partly responsible for the ruin.
He had stroked the wolf's head gently and whispered something in his native tongue before walking away.
Ren had said nothing then and said nothing now.
"…Also," Kirito spoke again, pulling him back to the present, "there's only one Holy Relic. We've returned it, and players who come after will start with a different quest, depending on which side they choose."
Ren glanced over. Kirito was gazing into the fireplace, the flame's reflection flickering in his eyes, giving his expression a faraway look.
"It feels like… some illogical flow of fate," Kirito murmured. "As if everything is predetermined, and we can't escape it even if we want to."
He let out a soft laugh, but it was like cold ash.
"Pretty ridiculous, huh?"
Ren shook his head. "I don't think so."
Another silence fell. This time, it wasn't heavy. It felt more like an understanding, as if both of them knew there were things that couldn't be fixed, only carried forward.
"Oh right… we took down the area boss earlier this evening," Kirito said, his voice lighter now.
Ren nodded slightly. "And you're the one who landed the finishing blow, right?"
Kirito paused. A quiet "yeah" slipped out, followed by a distant gaze, silent and weighted.