"Help! Help!" In the 30th-floor labyrinth area, a fragile girl in a pink long dress was being chased in panic by a huge spider.
"Uuuh... Don't eat me! My meat is stinky, hard, and tastes awful!" The girl in the pink dress, her long black hair flowing behind her, sprinted past a group of players, her speed so fast it sent a flurry of fallen leaves swirling.
"Damn! That's fast! What kind of monster could keep up with her?" someone among the group exclaimed.
And indeed, that was true. The giant spider was desperately chasing after her but still lagged far behind the black-haired beauty.
Bang! A solid impact sounded. The pink-clad beauty had run headfirst into a tree. The onlookers all covered their foreheads in unison. How clumsy could someone be to run straight into a tree like that?
"Uuuh! Don't hit my head!" The girl in the pink dress scrambled up in a panic, clutching her forehead as she started running again—this time in the opposite direction.
"Holy crap! She's running with her eyes closed!" another voice cried out. Though the beauty was unbelievably fast, she was now sprinting directly toward the spider! Could she not just open her eyes and look? Who runs straight into danger like that?!
Chii-chii... The spider opened its giant jaws and lunged at the black-haired girl. This one had attacked it repeatedly while running away—it was absolutely furious.
"Pina!" A clear voice rang out. A small blue dragon swooped down over the spider's head, spreading its wings. An ice blade dropped from the air, cleaving the spider in half as it vanished into experience points.
"Uuuh! Don't eat me!" Thud. The girl, still running with her eyes closed, slammed into another tree. Dazed, she staggered to her feet, burst into tears, and changed direction once again—still running ridiculously fast.
"Hey! Idiot! Don't run this way!" That same clear voice shouted again. Then came another loud crash. The onlookers stared as the pink-dressed girl crashed into a small loli, sending them both tumbling to the ground in a heap.
"Uuuh! Don't eat me!" The girl sobbed loudly, pinning the little loli beneath her.
"Open your eyes already!" The loli, trapped under her, reached up and pried open the girl's eyelids with her thumb and forefinger.
For a brief moment, the loli froze. Such beautiful eyes. Her wine-red pupils shimmered like centuries-old wine—brilliant and mesmerizing.
"Eh? You're not a spider." The girl blinked in confusion, then hurriedly stood up and bowed repeatedly. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
"Enough! Once is fine!" The loli got up quickly, holding the girl's head steady as she said, "I'm Silica, a Dragon Tamer. What's your name?"
"My name? Madoka?" The girl looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"Don't look at me like that! How would I know your name? You can't even remember it yourself—just how dumb are you?" Silica snapped.
After a good round of exasperation, the twin-tailed loli asked again, "Madoka, what are you doing here in the labyrinth all alone?"
"I'm not alone!" the mysterious creature—temporarily called Madoka—retorted loudly. Silica blinked in surprise.
"Everyone's dead. I'm the only one left... uuu..." Tears welled up in those wine-red eyes, and Madoka began crying uncontrollably as she wiped her face with trembling hands.
"Uuuu... I'm such a coward. Why did everyone else die while I lived? What's the point of me being alive? I might as well die too!" Madoka sobbed bitterly, then drew a sword and pointed it at her own throat, ready to end it.
"Hey! Don't just decide to die like that!" Silica quickly grabbed Madoka's hands and tried to calm her. "I know—it hurts so much to lose your comrades. But you're still carrying their memories! You can't just throw your life away so easily!"
"Eh? Comrades?" With most of her face covered by black hair, Madoka tilted her head in confusion as she looked at Silica.
"Don't give me that look! They were your comrades, weren't they? How should I know?!" Silica grimaced, baring her teeth in frustration.
"Madoka only met them today!" With one finger pressed to her lips, Madoka looked dazed.
"Met them today?" Silica was dumbfounded. You just met them today, and you're crying like this?
"Yes! They were all really kind! They said they wanted to help me level up." Madoka's face lit up with a cheerful smile, completely oblivious.
"Kind my ass! You barely knew them—why are you acting like you need to die for them?" Silica snapped, clearly at her limit.
Madoka's happy smile instantly turned into tears as she raised her sword to her throat again. "Uuuh... everyone's dead. What's the point of me being the only one alive?"
"Wait! Put the sword down first. We can talk this out!" Silica grabbed Madoka's hand, cold sweat forming on her forehead. I can't handle this... I really can't handle this kind of personality! Though, to be fair, Madoka's hand was so soft and smooth—it almost made Silica not want to let go.
"Does Silica want the sword? Then I'll give it to Silica." Madoka opened her menu and immediately transferred the long sword to Silica.
"No! That's not what I meant by putting it down!" Silica protested, intending to return it—but the moment she saw the sword's stats, her eyes nearly popped out.
"A +20 Greed's Fang!" Silica clapped her hands over her mouth, but it was too late—the words had already escaped. The onlookers' eyes instantly changed. Without drawing attention, they began to subtly surround Madoka.
"Madoka, I can't accept something that valuable. Take it back, quickly!" Silica bit her lip hard and returned the priceless sword to Madoka, her wary eyes flicking toward the party she'd originally been grouped with.
"Eh? Silica doesn't want it?" Madoka asked, confused, as she stored the sword away again.
"Madoka, is it? I'm this team's leader—Rosalia. Mind showing me that sword of yours?" A woman with flowing auburn hair stepped forward. She was the guild master of Titan's Hand—and a notorious orange-named player.
"Don't give it to her!" Silica grabbed Madoka's hand tightly, glaring at Rosalia with open hostility.
Madoka blinked, looking from Rosalia to Silica in confusion, before nodding firmly. "I'll listen to Silica."
"Madoka, take out your teleport crystal—quickly, let's go!" Silica ordered, producing one herself. In an instant, both of their figures vanished into the forest.
"Guild Master, why didn't we strike just now?" one man asked as he stepped up beside Rosalia, his expression dark with frustration, clearly blaming her for letting the prize slip away.
"Don't be impulsive. We don't know that girl's background yet," Rosalia replied calmly, a calculating smile on her face.
"She's just some brat who ran from a monster! We could've grabbed her, forced her to talk. No matter what she's hiding, she would've given it up!" the burly man growled. A +20 weapon—that was a legendary item that could boost his attack power by twenty levels! And they had just let it slip away before their eyes.
"We can't rule out the possibility that she's pretending to be weak. And besides—could any of us actually catch her? Don't forget how fast she moved," Rosalia said smoothly, her composure unshaken.
The man paused, realizing she had a point, though his face still burned with frustration.
"Relax. Do you really think I'd let a prize like that go? Once we figure out who that girl really is, everything she owns will be ours." Rosalia's seductive smile twisted into something sharp and cold. A +20 artifact... there's no way to split that evenly. Her crimson eyes gleamed with greed.
...
"Uuuh! How could I forget—I could've just teleported back to town!" In the plaza of the 30th floor, the mysterious girl Madoka held her head in both hands.
"I understand your airheadedness all too well," Silica sighed, her face weary. "Judging by your gear, you're definitely a rich player. You must have your own home. Just teleport there."
"But..." Madoka blinked, her wine-red eyes full of innocent confusion.
"No buts! You're seriously annoying. Go home already!" Silica barked, turning away. Being forced to use a teleport crystal so suddenly had left her irritated, and she couldn't help but grumble a little about Madoka.
"That idiot... will she be okay on her own?" she muttered as she turned a corner, her tough exterior cracking as concern filled her heart. She stopped and glanced back.
"Why is she still standing there? Is she waiting for someone?" Seeing Madoka just standing there, staring blankly, Silica felt something off. She decided to wait and watch.
Half an hour passed. Suddenly, two men approached the dazed Madoka. They seemed to be pulling at her.
"Those two definitely aren't here to help her... that idiot must be in trouble again!" Silica growled and hurried back.
"Excuse me! I'm here to pick up my friend!" Silica said sharply, grabbing Madoka's hand and pulling her away from the two men.
Once they were out of sight, Silica let go and immediately scolded her. "Didn't I tell you to go home?! What are you still doing here?!"
"Home?" Madoka tilted her head, her beautiful wine-red eyes full of innocent confusion.
"Don't look at me like that! It's your home, not mine—how should I know?" Silica snapped. Can you possibly be any more hopeless, Madoka?!
"Wait... do you not have a home?" Silica suddenly wondered if Madoka was actually homeless. That would explain everything.
"I do!" Madoka said firmly, her confused face suddenly turning proud. The shift made Silica's stomach twist in jealousy. Ugh! Damn rich players! Must be nice to show off like that!
Owning a home in the game cost an absurd amount of gold. Players like Silica, who had few reliable friends, could never afford one.
"If you have a home, then why didn't you go back there?" Silica's tone was sour. I want a home too...
"Go back?" Madoka tilted her head again, looking blankly at Silica.
"Stop looking at me like that! How would I know how to get to your house?" Silica groaned, then suddenly froze, eyes widening. "Wait—don't tell me... you don't even know how to go home!"
Madoka nodded quickly, her wine-red eyes narrowing as she smiled happily.
"Enough already! What's there to smile about?!" Silica slapped her forehead in despair. Gods above, why does someone like this even exist...