The next day, sunlight bathed Belfort City in a golden hue.
With the lockdown lifted, life returned to its streets in full force. Caravans rumbled along cobbled roads, rchants raised their voices to draw custors, and horse-drawn carriages weaved through the crowd. Laughter and chatter filled the air, blending with the sound of hooves and turning wheels.
Ryuzen walked calmly along the wide main road that led deeper into the city. His goal was clear.
He was heading for the Arctic Den.
Today, he planned to challenge the Extre Mode. If fate allowed, he might even attempt the Hell Mode. That thought alone sent a flicker of tension through him.
Few had ever returned from Hell Mode. Those who did ca back changed. Hardened.
So said the dungeon showed you not just powerful beasts but parts of yourself you were never ready to face.
Ryu wasn’t sure if he would succeed. He wasn’t sure if anyone truly could.
But still, he walked forward.
At his side, Venus matched his pace in silence.
Her hair flowed softly behind her, catching the light. She looked slightly up at him now, sothing that hadn’t been the case before.
Since his last advancent in levels, Ryuzen had grown, not just in strength, but in height too. He stood around 5’ 9" now, almostclose to 6 ft. Venus remained a graceful 5’ 7".
They didn’t speak, but the space between them felt warm. Comfortable.
Ryuzen glanced at her.
"Venus, you’re going outside the city for the first ti. Stay close to your instructor and don’t do anything reckless. Trust , the outside isn’t a playground," he said firmly.
She shot him a look, crossing her arms with a small huff.
"Hmph, stop acting like you’re so big shot guardian or sothing, Ryu!" she snapped, cheeks puffed ever so slightly. "I-I’m not a child, you know! I can take care of myself just fine."
Then, after a heartbeat, her eyes shifted to the side and her voice dipped a little.
"...Still, thanks for the advice or whatever. I’ll keep it in mind. Not because you said it or anything. Just because... it makes sense."
A faint red touched her cheeks before she briskly turned her head the other way.
Ryuzen smiled faintly, watching her try to mask the softness behind her fire.
"That’s good. If sothing happens to you, your parents will be devastated. I can tell how much they care about you."
Venus gave a quiet nod, then tilted her head toward him.
"I know. But what about your parents, Ryu? Do you not have any?"
Her words lingered in the air.
Ryuzen’s steps slowed. His lips parted slightly, but no answer ca. The question, though simple, dug deeper than she could’ve known.
In truth, his parents from his past life were dead to him. And in this life... he didn’t even know if they existed or not.
Venus noticed the sudden heaviness in his eyes. He wasn’t the type to show weakness, but the silence said everything. A quiet ache rested behind his unreadable expression.
Her gaze faltered. She wasn’t sure what to say or do. Comforting soone wasn’t her strong point, especially soone like him.
They weren’t close enough to share scars yet.
Friends? That might be too generous.
Maybe just... good neighbors who happened to share a path for now.
And yet, in that quiet mont, sothing shifted. A fragile thread of understanding ford between them.
She looked away and muttered in barely audible voice, "Forget I asked."
Ryuzen gave her a small nod.
"It’s alright," he said quietly. "So things don’t have answers yet."
Afterward, the two of them parted ways, each heading in their own direction. She headed toward Hunter Academy to et her group, while he took route to Arctic Den.
Ryu didn’t even bother to take a carriage once he was past the city gate. He didn’t need to. The Arctic Den dungeon wasn’t too far from there, at least not for soone like him.
Others, however, were already boarding carriages and caravans, traveling to various outposts and locations outside the city.
Ryu simply broke into a light jog, moving at a comfortable pace. Within just ten minutes, he arrived at the familiar entrance of the Arctic Den.
But sothing was different this ti.
Uniford city guards now stood watch at the dungeon gates, their armor gleaming in the morning sun. A new layer of tension lingered in the air, clearly a recent developnt.
Security asures. Probably due to the dragon incident.
Luckily, Ryu had brought his Adventurer’s Badge, tucked safely in his pocket. He pulled it out and flashed it toward the guards.
They gave a sharp nod and stepped aside without question.
Inside, the atmosphere was noticeably quieter.
Fewer people were around today. The bustling crowd of newbies that usually gathered at the entrance was almost nonexistent. Only a few scattered groups lingered, whispering among themselves in hushed tones.
It was clear the recent dragon sighting had spooked them.
Ryu smirked.
"Guess it’s easier to scare greenhorns than I thought."
He didn’t mind, though. Fewer people ant fewer distractions.
And grinding solo in peace was exactly what he wanted.
He stepped forward, entering the cold, shadowy mouth of the Arctic Den once more.
As soon as went inside, the sa glowing prompt hovered before him again:
Select Difficulty Mode:
[ Easy ] [ Mid ] [ Hard ] [ Extre ] [ Hell ]
Without a mont’s hesitation, Ryu tapped [ Extre ].
A burst of bright orange light exploded from the dungeon entrance, illuminating the frost-covered stones and catching the attention of nearby guards.
"What in the world? Did that kid just select Extre difficulty?" one guard muttered in disbelief, eyes narrowing.
Standing beside him, a scholarly-looking man adjusted his rapier and responded calmly, "Yes. The color codes are standard. Green for Easy, Blue for Mid, Yellow for Hard, and Orange... that ans Extre."
Another soldier whistled low. "Damn. Who is that guy? He’s got guts."
"Guts? Nah, he’s a fool," scoffed a brawny man with thick arms crossed over his chest. "Only a madman chooses Extre on their first runs. He’s asking for death."
A rough-looking woman, her braided hair swaying with every step, gave him a sharp glare. "You think you know everything just because you’ve been in a few dungeons, don’t you, muscle head?"
"What, you impressed or sothing?" the big man sneered. "Don’t tell you’re swooning over his pretty face, Elyssa."
\n(o)v.e\l
Elyssa clicked her tongue and crossed her arms. "You wouldn’t get it. That kind of confidence... either he’s an idiot or soone who knows exactly what he’s capable of."
"Settle down you two. Either way, we’ll find out soon enough, won’t we?"
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