"So this sword is the item from the last hit bonus?" Ren asked softly, his eyes still fixed on the gleaming steel blade in his hands.
He couldn't hide his surprise as he glanced over the stats displayed on the info panel, a longsword with outstanding performance, even stronger than weapons already enhanced to +3.
The blade was long and well-balanced, exuding a quiet, chilling sharpness. One glance was enough to tell that this wasn't just any ordinary item.
"Yes," Kirito replied, his voice dropping a note. "Too bad I don't use longswords."
He said it simply, but Ren still caught a trace of something like disappointment in Kirito's exhale.
Ren nodded, falling silent for a moment. He understood that feeling. He didn't use longswords either.
And even if he wanted to, Ren didn't want to waste too much of his time investing in another path, besides, he believed his talent leaned more toward slightly shorter weapons.
A rare treasure, arriving at just the right time… yet meant for neither of them.
The two sat there for a while, as if quietly mourning something they couldn't quite grasp.
"But at least you could sell it for a good price," Ren said, his tone light, almost like offering comfort.
Kirito nodded, his eyes still on the sword in his hand. "I was thinking the same…"
He rotated the blade in the firelight, the metal's reflection glinting across his thoughtful face.
"Even if I can't use it, this thing is rare enough that getting a second chance is nearly impossible. If I sell it… I guess I could save up a decent sum, just in case I need to upgrade something truly suited for me later."
Ren gave a small nod, saying nothing more. Regretful, but at least it still held value, in another form.
That's how this world worked: not every reward was meant for the one who could wield it. Sometimes, it was just luck… or fate.
Kirito tore his gaze away from the blade and looked directly at Ren. "We've agreed to raid the Boss around the 20th or 21st. Depending on how things go. If all goes according to plan."
The firelight reflected in his eyes as his voice deepened, full of deliberation. "If possible… I'd like you to join us."
Ren's brow furrowed slightly. His first instinct was to nod. But then… he shook his head. A little slowly. It was already December 18.
He knew clearly that, at his current pace, there was no way he could catch up to the frontliners. The gap in levels, gear, and experience… it couldn't be bridged in just a few short days.
"I don't think I'll be much help." The words came out gently, but with a faint tinge of bitterness.
Kirito didn't say anything for a moment. He didn't try to convince him, nor did he argue. He just sighed.
"I understand." He leaned back, resting lightly against one of the tent's support poles. "The average level of the frontliners is about 15 now. Some have already hit 16."
"At this rate… if I kept insisting you come along, it would only put you in danger."
Kirito stared into the hearth, his gaze seeming to sink into the glow of the embers. "Still, it's a shame. I think if you were there… everyone would feel more at ease."
"I wish I could help too…" Ren replied softly, his voice calm but carrying a quiet weight. "But maybe… not yet."
With that, he stood up. The motion was gentle but firm, as if the conversation had led him to the end of a line of thought.
"That's enough for now. If you'll excuse me," Ren added, glancing toward the parted white cloth that marked the path outside.
He'd stayed longer than planned. The conversation, the cozy atmosphere, the crackling fire… they'd made time pass quietly.
But no matter how long, he still had to return. Return to where he stood, to continue the path that was still unfinished.
"See you later," Kirito said.
"Yeah. See you," Ren replied with a soft smile, then turned and stepped out of the tent.
The air outside hit his face at once, cold and damp, heavy with mist and the scent of the forest.
Though he was used to the chill of the towering Baobab trees in Zumfut, he couldn't help but shiver as he stepped into the night at the forest's edge.
The forest at night was noticeably colder, perhaps because the mist had now settled lower, weaving between trunks and blades of grass like a thick blanket hugging the earth.
Ren walked straight toward Aisen's camp. Tomorrow would likely bring more quests, more planning, and more fighting, but for now… he just wanted to rest.
Too many unexpected things had happened today, from running into Kirito's group to the offer he couldn't accept.
What a shame… the quests he accepted this morning would expire overnight. The whole day of hunting and searching, all for nothing.
He could finish the item collection quests using materials from his storage, but the monster-killing ones weren't so lucky. They'd have to be restarted from scratch. Just thinking about it was draining.
But Ren didn't plan to complain. He was used to starting over, again and again.
Aisen's tent wasn't much different from Kizmel's, same materials, same structure, though at first glance, it looked a bit tidier.
Strangely, though… Aisen wasn't exactly the kind of person Ren would associate with neatness.
On the contrary, his eyes, that careless half-smile, and the way he spoke, sometimes laced with sarcasm, everything about him radiated a kind of wild, untamed energy, like he belonged to the untouched corners of the forest.
Not seeing anyone inside, Ren paused briefly. A sudden worry crossed his mind, maybe he had entered the wrong tent.
His eyes swept around; a few other Dark Elves were resting in nearby tents, while the guards remained silent and stern, like statues carved out of shadow.
"Only this one is still empty."
Ren hesitated for a moment, then stepped inside.
He found a quiet corner and sat down. Both his body and mind felt like they were dissolving into the cold night.
Ren began lighting a fire in the metal furnace set in the middle of the tent.
He opened the small iron door, carefully placing pieces of dry wood inside, his movements slow and patient, as if using the task to push away the fatigue weighing on his heart.
Fortunately, he always kept a fire-starting kit in his inventory.
After a few practiced motions, a spark caught, flaring up into a small flame, its warm golden tongues licking into the cold air.
The light from the furnace spread out, illuminating each fold of the tent fabric, casting a golden hue over the still, dark corners.
Ren looked around more carefully this time. Everything was arranged so neatly it was hard to believe anyone had actually lived here, or that any time had passed at all since it had been set up.
Just then, there was the sound of quiet footsteps. The tent flap rustled.
Aisen stepped inside.
"You're here already, Ren?" His voice was deep and held a faint lightness, as if he had already expected Ren's presence.
"Did you just drink?" Ren asked softly, half remark, half mumble.
Aisen chuckled, a faint scent of alcohol escaping with his breath. "I'm an adult, y'know. Just a little to warm the stomach. But… you actually know how to use that damned metal box? I thought it was broken. Every time I tried to light it, the smoke would go everywhere." He spoke as he walked closer to the furnace, his gaze filled with a mix of surprise and amusement.
Ren raised an eyebrow slightly, then pointed to the chimney pipe, which had been completely misaligned inward. "The exhaust wasn't fitted properly. It was tilted inward instead of being connected straight out."
Saying that, he stood up and deftly adjusted the direction of the chimney. The wisps of smoke drifting inside the tent were quickly drawn outward.
"You don't stay here often, do you?" Ren asked as he sat back down, his tone more of an observation than a question.
Aisen paused briefly. "Uh… did you forget which unit I'm in? Recon." Aisen gave a dry laugh, then exhaled. "How much time do you think I get to rest?"
He sat down nearby, pulled out a small knife, and casually began whittling a leftover piece of wood. "But still… how'd you guess so well?"
Ren's gaze turned toward the heart of the furnace, where the fire was now starting to settle. "There weren't any embers inside," he replied simply. "The tent's oddly clean. Feels more like it was prepared than actually used."
Aisen let out a laugh, this time leaning back slightly as if admitting defeat. "Sharp eyes, kid. Yeah… this furnace is probably just as cold… as I am."
"All right, enough now. Time to rest. Kids shouldn't stay up too late," Aisen said in a teasing tone. As he finished speaking, he raised a hand and lightly touched the leaf-shaped medal on his chest.
Immediately, the jet-black armor he wore dissolved into faint silver streaks of light, like glowing smoke being drawn back into the emblem, leaving his body nearly bare.
That effect… was identical to the animation when players equipped or removed gear.
Ren frowned, turning his face away in disgust. "You bastard. Why the hell aren't you wearing anything under your armor?"
Aisen chuckled softly, not the least bit embarrassed. On the contrary, he stretched lazily, as if enjoying the chill drifting through the tent. "And you think you're qualified to judge anyone else? Mister… nudist?"
Ren snapped his head around, his eyes flaring. "I was wearing shorts, and that time my armor got destroyed by that damn Forest Elf."
"Yeah, shorts, sure...but you weren't in any rush to cover up, were you? Very natural." Aisen shrugged, stifling a laugh, then pulled out a set of thin charcoal-colored clothes from a small glowing slot near the medal and slipped them on.
Afterward, he stretched out on a pile of hay that had been laid out, hands behind his head, eyes half-closed.
"Take it easy, kid. I'm not planning to steal your virtue."
Ren glared. "I'm a guy."
"So am I."
Aisen closed his eyes, his voice drifting into something halfway to sleep. "But… if I were a Forest Elf, you'd be tied up by now. Remember to lock the tent, just in case."