Rio crouched low in the center of a small forest clearing, her boots pressing into the damp grass as she carefully observed the three monsters wandering ahead of her.
The creatures were little more than beginner-level enemies—small, wolf-like beasts with dull gray fur and glowing yellow eyes. They paced restlessly between the trees, occasionally sniffing the ground or growling at one another.
To most new players, they were simple training mobs.
To Rio, they were test subjects.
She tightened her grip on her iron sword and narrowed her eyes.
The weapon felt familiar in her hands. Comfortable. Reliable.
For fifteen years, swords had been her specialty.
But now she possessed something she had never seen before.
Chronos Eye.
A Unique Skill that shouldn't even exist in the early stages of the game.
Rio inhaled slowly and focused.
Mana flowed through her body.
Immediately, a strange sensation spread behind her eyes.
A faint silver-blue aura flickered around her pupils, and tiny particles of temporal energy danced around her vision. The sensation wasn't painful, but it felt strange, almost like she was perceiving something that normal players couldn't.
"Alright..." Rio muttered quietly.
Her eyes remained fixed on the nearest monster.
"Let's see what you can actually do."
Without hesitation, she lunged forward.
Her sword swept through the air in a clean horizontal slash.
The blade connected directly with the first wolf.
The moment the strike landed, a pulse of silver energy erupted from the point of contact.
The world seemed to distort.
Time itself rippled outward.
The monster's body suddenly slowed.
Its movements became sluggish.
Its attempt to leap backward turned into a slow, awkward hop.
Even its growl stretched unnaturally long.
Rio immediately stepped back and watched.
The effect was unmistakable.
The monster was moving at a fraction of its normal speed.
Behind her, Ryota's eyes widened.
"Whoa!"
His jaw practically dropped.
"Did you see that?!"
Rio ignored him.
Instead, she activated Chronos Eye again.
Mana drained from her reserves.
She dashed toward the second monster and struck it with another clean slash.
The same phenomenon occurred.
Temporal energy rippled outward.
The second wolf slowed dramatically.
Its claws moved as though it were trapped underwater.
Its attempts to react became painfully delayed.
Rio moved toward the third creature.
Another strike.
Another temporal distortion.
Soon all three monsters were stumbling around the clearing like drunk animals.
Ryota stared in complete amazement.
"I've never seen anything like that."
He pointed excitedly.
"It's literally slowing time!"
Rio remained expressionless.
"Hmph."
She watched the monsters carefully.
"It's decent."
Ryota nearly fell over.
"Decent?!"
He gestured wildly toward the helpless enemies.
"You just slowed time itself!"
Rio shook her head.
"No."
She pointed toward the sluggish monsters.
"That's exactly the problem."
Ryota blinked.
"What?"
Rio lowered her sword.
"Listen carefully."
Her voice became serious.
"Chronos Eye costs thirty-five mana every time I activate it."
Ryota nodded.
"Okay."
Rio continued.
"The skill only works when I successfully hit a target."
She pointed toward her sword.
"That means I have to physically strike them first."
Understanding slowly appeared on Ryota's face.
Rio continued explaining.
"If I'm using a sword, I have to get close."
"Every activation requires me to enter melee range."
"I can't affect an enemy without landing a hit."
Ryota folded his arms.
"So you can't use it from far away."
"Exactly."
Rio nodded.
"Which means the skill doesn't naturally fit a swordsman."
She glanced down at her weapon.
For most players, getting a skill that manipulated time would be considered a blessing.
For Rio, it was more complicated.
She had spent fifteen years mastering close-range combat.
Every instinct she possessed was built around swordplay.
Chronos Eye felt like a skill that wanted something different.
Something she wasn't naturally suited for.
She looked toward the monsters.
"If I wanted maximum efficiency, I'd probably need a ranged weapon."
Ryota tilted his head.
"Then use one."
Rio immediately shook her head.
"No."
The answer came instantly.
"I don't want to become an archer."
Her expression tightened slightly.
"Archers require constant positioning."
"You need distance."
"You need perfect aim."
"You need to manage line of sight."
She frowned.
"Too many variables."
Ryota listened quietly.
Rio continued.
"Gunsmen have their own issues."
She crossed her arms.
"Most firearms in Evermount are powerful at range, but they're terrible in close combat."
"If an enemy gets into melee range, they're at a huge disadvantage."
She looked down at her sword again.
"I've spent years perfecting swordsmanship."
Her grip tightened.
"That's where I'm strongest."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Ryota suddenly said,
"What about a handgun?"
Rio blinked.
"A what?"
"A handgun."
Ryota scratched his cheek.
"Or something similar."
He thought for a moment.
"Like an early flintlock."
Rio stared at him.
The idea sounded ridiculous.
Ryota continued anyway.
"It has range."
"You can activate Chronos Eye without entering melee."
"Then once the enemy is slowed, you rush in with your sword."
Rio continued staring.
The silence stretched.
Finally—
"You do realize how insane that sounds, right?"
Ryota shrugged.
"Does it?"
Rio looked genuinely disturbed.
"Flintlocks are garbage."
She didn't even hesitate.
"They're one of the weakest weapon types in the entire game."
Ryota blinked.
"Really?"
"Yes."
Rio began counting on her fingers.
"Low damage."
"Slow reload speed."
"Poor durability."
"Terrible scaling."
"Almost nobody uses them after the early game."
She shook her head.
"They're considered a beginner trap."
Ryota listened.
Then simply said,
"Maybe."
Rio frowned.
"Maybe?"
He nodded.
"But Chronos Eye changes things."
Rio froze.
Ryota continued.
"You're not using the musket for damage."
"You'd be using it to trigger the skill."
Rio's eyes narrowed.
He wasn't finished.
"Slow the target."
"Control the fight."
"Create openings."
"Then use your sword."
The more he spoke, the quieter Rio became.
Because unfortunately—
It made sense.
A lot of sense.
She hated that it made sense.
Ryota noticed her expression.
"...You're thinking about it."
Rio rubbed her temples.
"Unfortunately."
The possibility began forming in her mind.
Chronos Eye didn't care about weapon damage.
It only cared whether she landed a hit.
That changed everything.
A weak ranged weapon suddenly became useful.
Not because of its damage.
Because of its utility.
Rio groaned.
"I hate that your stupid idea actually has potential."
Ryota grinned.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Rio ignored him.
The forest became quiet again as she considered the concept.
Eventually she sighed.
"Fine."
Ryota blinked.
"Fine?"
Rio nodded.
"I'll test it."
She opened her inventory.
"If it fails, I'm blaming you."
Ryota immediately pointed at himself.
"Why me?"
"Because it was your idea."
A few moments later, Rio opened the beginner equipment shop interface.
Rows of basic weapons appeared before her.
Most were standard starter gear.
Iron swords.
Wooden shields.
Training bows.
Cheap staves.
Then she found it.
Mini Flintlock Musket.
Her eye twitched.
The weapon looked pathetic.
Still—
She selected it.
Purchase confirmed.
One copper coin deducted.
Rio stared at her remaining currency.
Three copper coins.
A painful reminder appeared in her mind.
One copper coin was roughly equivalent to one thousand yen.
The game's economy was brutal.
One hundred copper became one silver.
One hundred silver became one gold.
Two hundred gold became a True Gold Coin.
Every coin mattered.
Especially in the early game.
But Rio pushed those thoughts aside.
It was only one copper.
And if this experiment worked—
It would be worth infinitely more.
The musket materialized in her inventory.
She equipped it.
The weapon looked absurdly small compared to her sword.
It resembled a decorative antique more than a real firearm.
Rio sighed.
"I can't believe I'm actually doing this."
Ryota looked pleased.
"You'll thank me later."
"Don't push your luck."
Rio stepped forward.
The remaining monsters wandered nearby.
She raised the musket.
Chronos Eye activated.
Mana flowed.
Silver energy danced around her eyes.
The familiar sensation returned.
Rio aimed carefully.
"Here goes nothing."
She pulled the trigger.
BANG.
The shot struck the nearest wolf.
Immediately—
Temporal energy exploded outward.
The monster slowed.
Far more noticeably than before.
Its body seemed trapped in syrup.
Every movement became delayed.
Every reaction became sluggish.
Rio's eyes widened.
It worked.
Without hesitation, she rushed forward.
Her sword flashed.
The slowed monster couldn't react.
The blade cut cleanly through its body.
The creature collapsed instantly.
Rio landed and stared.
Then she looked at the musket.
Then at the corpse.
Then back at the musket.
"No way."
Ryota immediately pointed.
"I told you!"
Rio ignored him.
She moved toward another monster.
Chronos Eye activated again.
Another shot.
Another successful trigger.
The creature slowed.
Rio followed with a sword strike.
The monster died before it could defend itself.
Then she tested the third.
Same result.
Perfect result.
The combo worked flawlessly.
Ranged activation.
Guaranteed slow.
Immediate melee execution.
Rio stood in the middle of the clearing.
Her heart was racing.
Not from combat.
From realization.
This wasn't merely viable.
This was powerful.
Extremely powerful.
She began mentally calculating possibilities.
Boss fights.
PvP.
Dungeon encounters.
Elite monsters.
Hidden bosses.
Every scenario opened up new opportunities.
A grin slowly spread across her face.
"I can't believe this..."
Ryota folded his arms proudly.
"What did I tell you?"
Rio looked at the musket again.
Then at her sword.
Then back at Ryota.
For the first time since meeting him—
She admitted something.
"Your dumb idea worked."
Ryota raised both hands victoriously.
"YES."
Rio laughed despite herself.
The sound surprised even her.
"I seriously can't believe it."
She looked down at the two weapons.
A swordsman shouldn't be using a flintlock.
Everything she knew about Evermount told her that.
Yet here she was.
Holding a combination that might completely change her future.
Her eyes sharpened.
Chronos Eye.
A weapon everyone ignored.
And fifteen years of combat experience.
Together—
They might create something entirely new.
Rio tightened her grip on both weapons.
The defeated monsters lay scattered around the clearing.
A slow smile spread across her face.
"This changes everything."
For the first time since entering Evermount, she wasn't simply recreating her old path.
She was creating a new one.
And that thought excited her far more than reaching Level 243 ever had.