The aftermath of the battle left them sprawled across the cavern floor, their breaths ragged and bodies aching. Sarah lay flat on her back, staring up at the jagged ceiling as if willing herself to melt into the stone. Her sword rested beside her, its blade smeared with blood and dirt. Alice leaned against a nearby rock, mace dangling loosely from one hand, while Adrian sat cross-legged beside Sarah, his short sword resting in his lap.
"I hate bears," Sarah muttered finally, her voice hoarse but laced with humor. "Especially smart ones."
Adrian chuckled softly, running a thumb along the edge of his weapon. "That wasn't exactly beginner-level difficulty."
Alice let out an exaggerated groan, stretching her arms above her head. "Yeah, no kidding. Why does a Level 7 monster have a skill like that? Aren't bigginers supposed to get, I don't know, easier enemies?"
"It's not about being easy," Adrian replied thoughtfully. "It's about testing you. Pushing limits. If everything was straightforward, it wouldn't feel… real."
Sarah turned her head slightly to look at him, smirking despite her exhaustion. "You sound way too philosophical for someone who just got stomped by a glowy-eyed bear."
"Hey," Adrian shot back, mock-offended, "I didn't get stomped. I survived. There's a difference."
Alice snorted. "Sure, keep telling yourself that, shadow boy."
Despite the banter, there was a shared sense of relief in the air. They had faced something far beyond their current capabilities—and somehow, they had won. Even now, the faint hum of the system echoed in their ears, signaling additional rewards for surviving such a challenge.
System Notification:
Combat Complete
Reward: Experience Points +150 per player
Additional Reward: Special Drop Detected
Alice frowned, glancing toward where the Alpha Cave Bear had fallen. Something shimmered faintly amidst the debris—a metallic gleam catching the dim light filtering through cracks in the cave walls.
"What's that?" she murmured, pushing herself to her feet. "Hold on, I'll check."
She trudged over to the spot, nudging aside chunks of ice and rock until she uncovered the object. It was an axe—its blade polished to a mirror finish, the handle wrapped tightly in reinforced leather. Etched into the metal was a faint insignia resembling overlapping shields, marking it as Iron Rank equipment.
"Well, well," Alice said, holding it up triumphantly when she returned to the group. "Looks like we hit the jackpot. This is an Iron Rank Axe. Pretty rare for this early stage."
Sarah raised an eyebrow, sitting up slowly. "Iron Rank? What makes it special?"
"It's stronger than Copper or Stone gear," Alice explained, turning the weapon over in her hands. "And it's class-restricted. Only certain builds can use it properly—like mine."
Adrian nodded approvingly. "Makes sense. Your Iron Vanguard class has high Strength scaling, so weapons like this are tailored to maximize your damage output."
"Translation: nerds need better gear," Sarah teased, though her tone was light. "Alright, hand it over, tank girl. Let's see what you can do."
Alice smirked, gripping the axe firmly. She swung it experimentally, the weight balanced perfectly between power and control. A soft chime confirmed the activation.
Item Equipped: Iron Rank Axe
+12 Strength
+8 Endurance
Skill Unlocked: Cleave (Basic) – Deals increased damage to multiple targets within a small radius
"Well, that's handy," Alice remarked, twirling the axe casually. "Guess I'm officially the heavy hitter now."
After ten minutes of resting and recovering their stamina, Adrian stood up, brushing dust off his clothes. He glanced between Sarah and Alice, a curious expression on his face.
"You know," he began casually, "I've been meaning to ask—have either of you checked the stats menu recently?"
Sarah tilted her head, confused. "Uh… yeah? Why?"
"There's this thing called the 'share' feature," Adrian continued, pulling up his own stat screen. "If you hold down the menu button for five seconds, you can send your base stats to someone else. Just thought it'd be interesting to compare numbers."
Alice shrugged. "Why not? Not like it's a secret."
Sarah hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Fine, whatever. But only because you're making puppy eyes about it."
One by one, they tapped their menus, initiating the transfer. Within seconds, Adrian's interface updated with their information. He scanned the details carefully, noting how their classes influenced their growth.
Sarah Carter
Level: 3 (45 / 100 EXP)
HP: 160 / 160
Strength: 8 (+2 from Dragon Knight bonus)
Agility: 6
Endurance: 7 (+1 from leveling)
Stamina: 5
Intelligence: 4
Luck: 2
Physique: 5 (Tier 0 – Unawakened)
Alice Carter
Level: 3 (50 / 100 EXP)
HP: 180 / 180
Strength: 9 (+3 from Iron Vanguard bonus)
Agility: 4
Endurance: 8 (+2 from leveling)
Stamina: 6
Intelligence: 3
Luck: 2
Physique: 4 (Tier 0 – Unawakened)
Adrian felt a flicker of satisfaction as he processed the numbers. Their starting stats reflected their chosen paths—Sarah prioritizing balanced offense and defense, Alice leaning heavily into raw strength and durability. Both had benefited from their class bonuses upon leveling, which explained why Sarah's Strength had increased to 8 and Alice's to 9.
In his mind, Adrian noted how the system rewarded players based on their roles. While class-specific attributes grew faster, general points could still be allocated manually, allowing flexibility in character development. For instance, Sarah might choose to invest in Agility later to improve her evasion, while Alice could focus on Stamina to endure longer fights.
Still, he kept these observations to himself, opting instead for a casual remark. "Not bad. Looks like you two are ahead of me in raw power."
Sarah smirked. "Told you I'd wreck everything. Numbers don't lie."
Alice rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just move before another glowing-eyed nightmare shows up."
They exited the cave cautiously, the sunlight streaming through gaps in the mountain ridges, feeling almost blinding after hours spent in darkness. The journey back to the village was quiet, each lost in their thoughts. Adrian couldn't help but replay the fight in his mind—the way the bear adapted, countered, and ultimately tested them. It wasn't just a combat encounter; it was a lesson in teamwork and strategy.
When they reached the quest board near the square, Sarah stretched dramatically, cracking her neck. "Alright, team. What's next? More wolves? Bears? Or maybe something less likely to kill us?"
Adrian scanned the available missions. Most were repeatable tasks designed to help beginners grind experience and resources. Hunting packs of wolves, gathering herbs, delivering supplies—all relatively safe options compared to their last ordeal.
"How about we stick to the basics for now?" he suggested. "We can farm some quests around here, build up our levels, and save the crazy stuff for later."
Alice nodded in agreement. "Works for me. Besides, I want to test out my new axe properly. See if it lives up to the hype."
Sarah grinned, adjusting her grip on her longsword. "Alright then. Let's grind till we shine."
With renewed determination, they set off toward the fields outside the village, ready to do some small task like picking the herbs and selling them.
The trio ventured into the frost-covered fields outside Yurei Hollow, their breaths misting in the crisp air as they embarked on a side quest to gather Frost Herd pelts. The task seemed simple enough—track down wandering beasts, harvest their hides, and return them to the village tailor—but Sarah quickly turned it into a competition.
"Alright, nerds," she declared with a grin, adjusting her Copper Boots. "First one to collect five pelts gets bragging rights. Losers have to carry all the loot back."
Adrian raised an eyebrow, already scanning the horizon for signs of movement. "You're on. But don't cry when I win."
"Oh please," Alice chimed in, hefting her Iron Rank Axe. "I'm literally built for this. You two are just slowing me down."
With that, they split off in different directions, each eager to claim victory. Sarah darted ahead, her newfound speed making her nearly impossible to keep up with. She spotted a herd grazing near a cluster of icy rocks and charged in without hesitation. Her longsword sliced cleanly through the first beast, earning her a pelt almost instantly.
Meanwhile, Adrian relied on stealth, circling around to flank unsuspecting herds. His short sword struck swiftly, targeting weak points to minimize wasted effort. Each successful hit boosted his Physique, leaving him feeling sharper and more connected to his movements. By the time he secured his third pelt, he smirked, knowing he was closing in on Sarah's lead.
Alice, true to her tank class, took a more direct approach. Swinging her axe like a whirlwind, she barreled into groups of herds, scattering them in every direction. Though less efficient, her raw power ensured no herd could withstand her strikes for long.
As they regrouped at the edge of the field, tempers flared over who had truly gathered the most pelts. Sarah held up four triumphantly, only for Alice to counter with five. Adrian, smirking, revealed six neatly stacked hides in his inventory.
"Guess I'm not the slowpoke anymore," he teased, earning groans from both sisters.
"You cheated!" Sarah accused, though laughter bubbled beneath her words.
"Nope," Adrian replied. "Just better."
Their playful banter carried them back to the village, where the tailor awaited their haul, and the promise of carrying the loot fell squarely on Sarah and Alice's shoulders.
After deciding to rest up a bit for now, the path tomorrow was to grow stronger and gear up a bit.
They were not worried since the game had only begun.