"Cr-Chris ?"

"Huh...?"

My sword halted just inches from her body.

Chris hadn’t turned around yet, but she must have sensed the cold edge of my sword so close to her.

"D-Damn it…!"

Rain, swing the sword.

She attacked me first.

A person could get killed by a rock thrown in jest, after all.

Sure, I’m just a frog blinded by the rewards of a daily quest, but still.

And sure, Chris unnie was kind enough to give me that 1-gold outfit, but still...

She made the first move, didn’t she?

This is the *Rozellia Forest*, a PVP field, where yesterday’s allies can be today’s enemies.

But in the end, I couldn’t bring myself to swing the sword.

*Tap, tap, tap!*

Instead, I swiftly ran to a tree 20 meters away and hid behind it.

From behind the tree, I weakly shouted, "D-Don’t come any closer…!"

"Rain? Is that you, Rain?"

Chris flinched and tried to take a step toward me.

"I said, don’t come closer! I’ll run away…!"

"Why would I attack you?"

"Liar! You just cast a binding spell on me!"

I squeezed my eyes shut and yelled. Tears threatened to spill.

I thought she was a good person, but I was wrong.

She definitely knew it was me when she attacked! She’s a ruthless PVP player!

She must have wanted to take my *Magic Stones* for extra rewards since, in this field, you can loot other players’ *Magic Stones* through PK!

Chris unnie is a bad PVP player!

"I-I’m sorry! It was so dark under the tree's shadow, I didn’t realize it was you, Rain! I’m really sorry! You’re here for the *Magic Stone* quest, right? How many more do you need? I’ll give you mine."

Chris pulled her hand out of the air and took out several *Magic Stones*.

"Here, take them! You’re a good girl, right? Do you want me to come over, or will you come here?"

"Gasp…!"

I stared blankly at the *Magic Stones* in her hand.

If I took those, I’d not only complete my daily quest, but I’d have extra for bonus rewards.

"No!"

I snapped back to my senses and shook my head vigorously.

Rain, don’t be fooled. You’ve only met her twice.

In the PVP field, there are no friends, just as the other players said.

She might be trying to lure me with those stones, only to stab me in the back.

She could be planning to take the 18 *Magic Stones* I worked so hard to collect.

I don’t know what Chris is thinking, but I couldn’t bring myself to attack her.

If I wanted to avoid a fight, my only option was to run.

I turned away from Chris, who was approaching slowly.

*Tap, tap!*

"Fine! I’ll leave them here, and I’ll stay far away. You can come pick them up, okay?"

Seeing me turn my back, Chris called out urgently. She carefully placed five *Magic Stones* on the ground and backed away.

"Huh!"

Was it really okay to take them?

*Creep, creep.*

I cautiously approached the stones, keeping a wary eye on Chris, who had moved far away.

*Flicker.*

*Grab, grab.*

I quickly snatched up the *Magic Stones* while throwing a sharp glance in her direction.

"Heh."

A goofy smile spread across my face once I had pocketed the stones.

Oops! I almost let my guard down.

I shot another sharp look at Chris.

She simply stood there with a pleased smile on her face, showing no intention of attacking me. It really seemed like she hadn’t known it was me when she attacked earlier.

Feeling a bit safer, I hesitantly spoke up.

"...Do you have any more *Magic Stones*?"

---

*Squish, squish.*

I walked through the blue-green plains, enjoying the pleasant breeze.

I felt great.

Today, I had collected thirty *Magic Stones*.

I would get plenty of extra rewards from the daily quest bonus.

*Squish, squish.*

Next to me, there were footsteps other than my own.

I was heading back to the *Alpharion Empire* city near the *Rozellia Plain* to report my daily quest.

So why was Chris, who belonged to the *Betarion Empire*, following me?

Still, I couldn’t complain.

She had given me plenty of *Magic Stones*.

"......"

I glanced shyly at Chris, who was walking beside me.

When she noticed my gaze, she smiled brightly.

"Hm? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Unnie, you’re an agent of the *Betarion Empire*, right? This is the road to the *Alpharion Empire* city."

"...Agent?"

"T-Thank you for the *Magic Stones*, though."

"Hehe, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it."

I still wasn’t comfortable talking with people, but I wasn’t so heartless that I couldn’t express gratitude.

If it had been anyone else, I wouldn’t have accepted their favor, but I felt a little less uneasy around Chris.

"Actually, I’m thinking of switching to the *Alpharion Empire*."

"What about all the contribution points you’ve earned with the *Betarion Empire*?"

"Hehe, I just like this side better."

I tilted my head in confusion.

Switching factions meant resetting all the contribution points you had accumulated with the previous faction.

*Squish, squish.*

*Step, step.*

We walked in silence across the plains for a while.

Chris kept looking at me with a pleasant smile, but she didn’t bombard me with questions like when we first met, nor did she make sudden gestures like during our second encounter.

Without any reason to run away, I walked alongside her, occasionally sneaking glances.

*Drip, drip.*

The gentle sound of flowing water reached my ears.

Not long after, a clear, sparkling stream appeared before us.

The surface of the water shimmered under the sunlight, reflecting the breeze.

"Wow!"

I grinned widely.

The stream was surrounded by vibrant flowers of various colors, making it look like a scene from a painting.

A small offshoot of the great river that flowed through the *Rozellia Plain*.

No matter how many times I came across this place, its beauty always felt new.

*Splash, splash.*

I took off my shoes and dipped my bare feet into the stream.

The cool water against my skin felt incredibly refreshing.

The sensation you could only feel on the continent of *Astra*.

The water was slightly cold, but my heart felt warm.

*Splash, splash.*

And today, there was one more splash.

"Wow, it’s so refreshing! Even though the synchronization rate makes it feel a bit off, it’s still well done!"

Chris, who had approached without me noticing, had taken off her shoes as well and was now dipping her feet into the stream, just like me.

I smiled faintly at the sight of her laughing like a child.

Unnie doesn’t know, does she? That I can only feel this sensation here.

But it didn’t feel bad.

The thought that someone else was sharing the same experience.

"Whoa!?"

*Slip.*

Suddenly, Chris lost her balance, her eyes widening in surprise.

She flailed her arms in a panic, trying to steady herself, but it was too late.

*Sploosh!*

She must have stepped on a moss-covered rock, and before I knew it, Chris had fallen into the water, flailing her arms.

Water splashed everywhere, droplets flying as the sun made her fiery red hair shimmer.

*Giggle.*

I couldn’t help but giggle at the sight.

Chris, looking like a drenched rat, stared at me in shock.

Then, as if realizing how ridiculous she looked, she burst into laughter as well.

Chris unnie is a funny unnie!

---

I arrived at the city of the *Alpharion Empire* with Chris.

She had accompanied me all the way from the *Rozellia Forest* to the city, helping me keep an eye out for enemies along the way.

Chris seemed to have switched her faction through the city NPC, meaning I wouldn’t have to be wary of her in the forest anymore.

As I smiled to myself, counting the *Refined Magic Stones* I had earned from completing my daily quest, Chris spoke up.

"By the way, it’s almost time, isn’t it?"

"Oh."

Her words reminded me.

The level 30 elite dungeon, *The Demon Army’s Outpost*, was about to open.

It was a fortress located in a hidden basin in the rocky mountains on the outskirts of the *Rozellia Plain*.

The entrance had been sealed by a magical barrier, but with every *Divine Beast Dungeon* that players cleared, the seal weakened.

The time was finally approaching for the fortress to be opened.

"You’ve hit level 30, right, Rain? And you’ve been farming elite dungeons, so you must have a party ready?"

"......."

Would it be strange if I said I only play solo?

I mean, it’s pretty standard among players to join parties for elite dungeons.

But as someone who used to be a hero of the *Astra Continent*, wouldn’t it be weird if I couldn’t handle this on my own?

Then again, if I said, "I used to be a hero here," it’s not like anyone would believe me.

"Hehe, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me if it’s hard to

 talk about. You don’t use your messenger much, do you? Just reach out whenever you feel like talking."

"Okay."

I nodded, looking up at Chris.

She gave me a wistful smile.

"I have an appointment to get to, so I need to go. I wish I could spend more time with you, though."

I shook my head slightly, signaling that it was fine.

Though my wariness of Chris had mostly faded, I still preferred to be alone for now.

Reluctantly, Chris began to walk away, glancing back several times.

When she had gotten far enough away, she suddenly turned around and shouted, waving enthusiastically.

"See you next time! Promise!"

I waved back at her, a small, quiet wave.