D.N.A.

  Over the few days, about a week, I spent more time with Luna.

  It wasn't as if I had much choice? As I said, I least one pyer who could be a medium for prote, e, and learning if I wao survive while gathering answers regarding my VR:Ser in this game. But that was my justification, to be ho.

  Actually, it was more than that.

  I couldn't help but feel Luna had the ao the questions that pgued me. I wao know if she uood anything about what had happeo me? About this world? About that letter about "I 't run"? Because I wasn't sure how to begin looking into what, where, and how.

  But Luna didn't mention anything about what I suspected she knew. Not once. Instead, as a pro pyer who mentors beginners, we battled side by side, explored hidden areas of the Academy (she showed me pces important to pyers), and progressed from Quest to Quest. Or, sometimes, we shared quiet moments where she'd ent on the sery or joke (sarcasm) about other pyers struggling in battle.

  Even now, we made our way through the deeper easterion of the forest surrounding Vaughan to work on my Side Quest. It was simple: kill monsters, take their drop items, and hand them to the relevant NPC. Still, no oddities in the game. At all.

  What did I want to point out, exactly? Everything seemed perfectly normal! Too "normal," which I found annoying. The server funed smoothly, NPCs responded as expected, Events pyed out without any errors urities, and other pyers we entered were just like any other pyers in any game.

  Where were the cracks in the game? The glitches? The signs that something was wrong? Any evidence so that I could progress my iigation? That was why I said I wasn't sure how to begin looking into what, where, and how. I ched my fists as we stopped by a stream.

  Luna k by the water, examining a herb with tall, rge-leafed blue weeds. I didn't know why she stopped and took that instead; perhaps it was for her raw material needs? That said, it was quite practical. While expl the forest, she might as well restoD help me plete the Quest. Whatever. All my thoughts were overtaken by the frustration in my chest; it was even worse when I looked at the flowing water below, revealing my avatar (which had the same appearance as me in the real world) staring back.

  'Why does everything feel so ordinary?'

  The memory of the letter resurfaced—the warning, the sehat I couldn't run; my family might be dragged into my problem as there would be a shortcut t someone down by targeting their loved ohe fact that I fot something...

  Was it possible I had imagi?

  That after I'd been through, my mind made up all these issues?

  I dismissed that line of thought with a shake of my head. No. There must be something wrong here, even though I couldn't see it now. I had to believe that. I o believe that. Otherwise, what was I even doing here? In this game?

  "Hey, you seem distracted. Everything alright?"

  The words, although ing out very softly from Luna, successfully startled me. I quickly lifted my face from looking at the water stream to her. She was already standing, patting her short bck skirt. Probably finished with her raw material gathering?

  I replied to her with a smile... even though I had to force it. "Yeah, just thinking about the Quest; didn't want to miss anything important."

  Luna raised an eyebrow, clearly unvinced about what I said, but she let it go. She turned her attention to the forest and led me to tinue expl. I let out a sigh of relief as I followed her, gd she didn't push further. Her asking too many questions was the st thing I needed. Because it felt unfair, I diligently answered her, while her answer was ambiguous or even another question instead.

  Sigh...

  When we tinued walking, I reassessed my mind again.

  Three days ago, I had iigated a suspicious area that seemed out of p abaower deep in the forest. I had heard about it from an NPC, a student who loved gossiping, g that the tower held "the lost secrets of the first explorers" and "ao those who dare seek." I was curious, so I went there, hoping for something big. But it was just a heavy lore event for a newbie to ence [Open World] exploration. How disappointing.

  Maybe I roag this wrongly? Like... I had been expeg btant signs? And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that such things might be too easy. Well, I mean, the "answer" itself was information. And there were no such things as free-and-easy information, no?

  Moreover, up to this point, the Quests I had pleted were just basies for newbies since my Mai was still stutil I reached Level 15. Though, this made me think of ohing.

  'What about Luna? She must have reached the end game.'

  Ah, but... it would be useless to ask Luna directly. Remember how she was always ambiguous? What happe time?

  Luna often discussed topics that seemed different or not directly reted to the current situation. This might have just been her way of speaking—ambiguous, philosophical, and reflective. You know? She used a kind of social strategy, shifting from oopic to another and making us follow her rhythm of versation. In the end, this pushed oo refled discover new perspectives.

  From all the time I had spent iing with Luna, it was very clear that this art of her personality. It was as if she wanted me to figure it out myself. Or maybe she khe truth could only be uood through firsthand experiehere was also the possibility that she was just an ordinary pyer who knew nothing.

  But based on what she said to me a few days ago about "freedom," I suspect she knows something about me while keeping it to herself.

  This made me realize there was no shortcut, no easy answer, just the path ahead of me; Luna's ambiguity only strengthened my belief: it was best to solve the issue myself. And rushing things wasn't a good option. Because a game the size of the World: The in must be flooded with rumors, red herrings, half-truths, aruths. A single perspective—my own—might be too narrow to catch subtle hints.

  That was why I had to take a different approach.

  Ehe game.

  I had to pretend that I wasn't searg for anything but a simple Quest reward, even if that meant suppressing my doubts and pying along as if everything were... truly "alright." Blending in often helped one learn more than if they stand out as an obvious iigator. And this was also for my own sanity!

  If I trated solely on these problems 24/7, I risked burnout and tunnel vision.

  "Looks like we found it. Or rather, it found us. Get ready, Luo."

  When Luna said that, I k was time to swity autopilot of trail behind her and start looking forward; I realized we had reached an rown clearing with tall trees covered in viheir branches iwining above to create a opy, giving the area a dim, with a low growl resonating through the foliage.

  "This is a high-level monster."

  The "monster" Luna was referring to emerged from the shadows behind the t trees twelve meters before us—a bination of peared to be a wolf (body and size) with a serpent (skins aures). But looking at its status...

  Pawn type F-105, SerpentwolfLevel:13HP495/495DP15/15"You sure this is a high-level one?" pared to Luna, who was already level 70, this one, with her normal attaly, sure would die.

  "Well... this is a high level for you, isn't it? You are just leveled to 10. Even its status bar should be yellow for you."

  It was true, though, what Luna said. That yellow s was because the monster was three levels above me. But based on what she said, I knew Luna wouldn't get involved and leave the Serpentwolf entirely up to me. I giggled while having a sweet drop, but as soon as the monster charged, I positioned myself to form a stance so that it had to back off.

  When it started to retreat, I prepared to activate the Floating Hss by taking a Heart Core from the [Iory]. My h on was ready at my side, with my hand stretched underh it.

  "You seem to be acutely aware of your situation." Was that a pliment? But Luna had already shifted, leaping atop a tree behio prevent the agro from moving to her, apparently? While she could still give me dires. "Alright, Luo. Time to put your Catalyst to the test. Remember the bos I taught you."

  'Catalyst... magic, then rely on time.'

  I started preparing to cast [Ice Lancer]; I raised my arm, and ied around my hand, creating a chilly mist as three nces appeared above my palm. And I flung them oer the other, eace rushing to the monster. Each blow reverberated with a ch of ice as they struck.

  202241!'Critical!'

  The critical indicated that I had struck its oint: its head—more specifically, at the ter of its eyes. What a ce! I aimed for its eyes but missed them, while the other hit its body and chest. [CD 5s]. I could feel the Skill Cooldown tig in my mind, the slight pause before I could summon the nces again while the creature staggered.

  But the staggered, of course, didn't st long, and it wasn't even as effective as it should have been because my Grade was still low. Shaking its head to clear the ice from its body and head, its crimson eyes gred at me. It charged. The air was a blur of speed as its cws swept through it.

  I swung sideways, barely esg the blow. Its cws tore into the ground, sending dirt flying up.

  "Good dodge!" Luna said, still perg orunk of a rge tree. "Now, use [Phase Bomb]! It give you breathing room."

  trating on the creature's jumps, which seemed to be trying to make a dent after its missed attack, I focused on its movement. Aim. I hurled my on at the target after that. Floating Hss dashed before dropping down aonating with a shockwave. The explosion bsted, making the smoke plume soar. I seized the opportunity to reposition, gaining a better vantage point.

  "Now is your ce, Luo. Use [Azure Circle]!"

  And that was my rhythm in dealing with the monster while Luna tio give instrus.

  For distance, I delivered a long attack using [Ice Lancer]. During Cooldown, I used other attacks, such as [Azure Circle], especially after [Phase Bomb], its smoke s through the air, which caused the eo stumble and lose focus when delivering ued AoE attacks. If I was hit because the enemy's HP was depleted to 25%, entering "enraged mode" that drove it mgressively, I made sure to use [Recall Illumination] to recover my health.

  This tinued as I chipped its HP.

  HP225/495HP164/495HP35/495At st, a siack from [Ice Lahat stabbed right at its oint—at the monster's forehead—created a guttural growl before Serpentwolf colpsed. Its body shattered into a digital particle that faded into the forest floor.

  Serpentwolf Defeated! EXP Gained:55Loot Dropped:Serpentwolf Cw x2, Hardened Serpent Scale x3, Minor Restoration Potion x1Ding!

  Hunting Material Collected!Quest Updated! Running for the HuntTalk to Rata at Vaughan CafeteriaLuna jumped down from the tree, nding beside me. "Well done! And now, it looks like you have everything you need for the Quest."

  "Guess I am ready to move on then?"

  She smiled. "Well... let's go back to Academy, then."