After his exhausting fight against the Demon Wolf, Kyle, bleeding, collapsed against a tree. His sword was stuck in the ground, his breath short, his body bruised. He stared up at the red sky of this strange world.
"Tch... I'm still alive? What a scam..."
He smiled, before his eyelids closed. Slowly, sleep took him.
Meanwhile...
Lys, having joined Tristan's group, was walking alongside them on a forest path. The day's mission was a D-rank quest: clearing a graveyard infested with undead.
Tristan, confident in himself, said with a smile:
"This will be perfect for you, Lys. Your holy magic is the natural enemy of revenants."
On the way, he introduced her to the other members of his team:
"This is Anne, a warrior specializing in spears. Solid as a rock."
Anne, a blonde with green eyes, nodded to Lys, her expression serious.
"Iris, our young mage. She can only cast lesser spells at the moment, but she's a fast learner."
The small, bespectacled mage gave a shy bow.
"And finally, Elaria, an elf archer. Excellent night vision, unrivaled accuracy."
Elaria, elegant with long silver hair, greeted with a gentle smile.
"Together, we form the group 'Shards of Dawn.' I hope you enjoy it."
Lys nodded, a little intimidated by the group's beauty and confidence.
As they reached the entrance to the cemetery, a dense brown fog suddenly enveloped them. The sky clouded over, making the place as dark as a moonless night.
At first, nothing seemed unusual.
"Strange..." murmured Iris.
Elaria closed her eyes and whispered,
"Sylvanas, priestess of the woods, guide my senses... [Detection]."
Suddenly, her eyes opened again, alert.
"We're surrounded!"
The whole group went on guard.
Tristan drew his longsword, Anne pointed her spear, and Iris began an incantation.
"Lux lumen, illuminare noctem!" [lumen]
A white light burst from her hands, slightly illuminating the fog around them.
The undead appeared: armed skeletons, ragged zombies, and even a specter crawling on the ground. About twenty of them.
Lys stood frozen. It was the first time she'd seen such horrible monsters. Her legs were shaking.
"Stay behind me, Lys!" Tristan shouted.
The others threw themselves into the battle. Elaria fired arrow after arrow, Anne sliced through the skeletons, Iris summoned small fireballs:
"Ignis orbis!" [Fireballs]
She launched a swirling flame that pulverized two zombies.
But Lys did nothing. Just stood there, protected, useless.
Anne called out between two thrusts of her spear:
"Are you going to stay there for long? Are you a priestess or a statue?"
The remark stung. Lys's heart sank. But she forced herself to close her eyes and clasped her hands.
"Purificatio Dei… sacra lux, disperge tenebras…"
A white aura erupted from her.
[Purification - Holy Spell]
The fog dispersed suddenly, pierced by a divine light. The sun returned.
The undead creaked, recoiled, and began to collapse, their necrotic energy evaporating under the sunlight.
Tristan took advantage of this:
"Now! Attack!"
The group finished off the survivors easily. Within minutes, calm returned.
Tristan planted his sword in the ground, struck a heroic pose, and declared:
"Honestly, without you, Lys, we wouldn't have had the divine light on our side. You deserve a real thank you!"
Lys blushed a little.
Anne approached, looking embarrassed.
"Look... I'm sorry about earlier. I was too harsh. You did the right thing."
Lys replied with a sincere smile:
"If you hadn't shaken me, I might never have woken up. Thank you."
She closed her eyes and clasped her hands.
"Lux sanatio..."
[Sacred Light - Group Light Healing]
A soft wave of light enveloped all the party members, healing cuts and scratches.
Everyone looked at her, impressed.
"Welcome to the party, Lys," Iris said with a smile.
They then made their way back to the guild, chatting happily.
At the guild, Lys handed over the quest form. Eris smiled.
"Congratulations, Lys. Your participation raises you to rank F."
Lys, a little moved, asked:
"Is Kyle back?"
Eris replied, confused:
"No. Yet, he left long before you..."
Tristan, curious, raised an eyebrow.
"Kyle?"
"We live at the same inn. He's... talented. He rose in rank solo on the first day."
Tristan crossed his arms.
"Hm. Interesting. Do you care about him?"
"That's not it," Lys replied, a little embarrassed. "But he is... remarkable."
Tristan turned to Eris:
"What quests did he choose?"
"Two missions: goblin extermination... and wolves."
Tristan blinked.
"Two? Solo?"
Eris nodded.
Lys paled.
"It's dangerous... He must be in trouble..."
Tristan, serious:
"We're going to go get him. If he's your friend, we have no choice."
And that's when the guild door burst open.
Everyone turned around.
Kyle entered.
His clothes were in tatters, his shoulder was bleeding slightly, his sword scratched. His expression? Impassive.
He walked straight up to Eris, placed a hand on the counter, and said in a bored, sarcastic tone:
"Mission accomplished."
Eris was speechless. The rest of the guild was too.
Tristan stared at him, impressed. Kyle ignored him completely, turned to Lys, and smiled at her:
"So, how was it on your end?"
But before she could answer, he raised his hand:
"Wait, we'll talk about this again at the inn with Rose."
He walked towards the exit, calmly... as if he hadn't been on the brink of death five hours earlier.
After leaving the guild to the surprised and worried gazes of Kyle, he trudged along the cobblestone streets, his tired body threatening to give way at any moment. Pain pulsed through his muscles, his clothes were torn, covered in dirt, dried blood, and ash. Yet, as usual, he showed nothing. He maintained his nonchalant facade, his characteristic detached attitude.
But Lys, who had watched him walk away silently, couldn't just stand by and do nothing. She rushed after him, running to catch up. When she reached him, she saw he was limping slightly.
"Do you want me to help you?" she asked softly.
Kyle looked away and replied in a cold, almost automatic tone, "No need... I'm fine."
But Lys wasn't to be dismissed so easily.
"We're going to the same place, aren't we?" So we might as well walk together."
Kyle remained silent. He didn't have anything against her, really. It was just... he'd never been very comfortable around girls. He preferred to ignore them rather than feel awkward. Yet, Lys stood there, walking beside him, without saying another word.
The silence lasted for a moment, until Kyle's legs gave way beneath him. Exhausted, he stumbled and fell to his knees. Before he could react, Lys had already knelt down to his level and extended her hand.
"Will you let me help you now?"
Without waiting for his answer, she slipped her arm through his to help him up. Kyle, a little embarrassed, looked away and whispered,
"...Thank you."
That simple word made Lys smile.
They continued like this, all the way to their inn.
When the door opened, Rose, who was drying glasses behind the counter, looked up. Seeing Kyle's state and Lys supporting him, she immediately ran over.
"By the gods, Kyle! Why did you come back in such a state?!"
Kyle tried to defuse the situation with a wry smile:
"It's nothing. Just the joys of adventure..."
But Rose wasn't fooled. She glared at him, arms crossed.
"You think this is funny? If you keep this up, you'll end up dying."
"I just wanted to exp—"
"Don't say a word. You need to find a group. It's crazy to continue solo with quests."
Before he could reply, she placed a hand on his chest and chanted:
"[heal]"
A faint green glow spread around Kyle, closing his deepest wounds. He sat up slowly, feeling the pain ease.
"Two days," Rose continued, her gaze stern. "You've only been an adventurer for two days, and look at you."
Kyle looked down, almost guilty. He tried to slip away to rest, but Rose held his shoulder.
"Not so fast. You need to eat."
"I'm not very hungry."
Rose narrowed her eyes, adopting a mock-offended tone.
"Is this because you don't like my cooking?"
Kyle sighed, defeated.
"You're making me..."
He reluctantly sat down at a table. Rose went to the kitchen, leaving Kyle alone for a few seconds. Lys, who remained standing, watched the scene with a strange feeling. A gentle warmth in her chest, but also a slight hint of sadness, as if she didn't belong there.
Rose soon returned with a hot meal. She glanced at Lys.
"And you, Lys? How was your day?"
Lys, a little surprised, replied with a genuine smile:
"I joined a party today... And I completed my first mission. We defeated some undead in a graveyard. As a result, I've risen to rank F."
Kyle, who was chewing slowly, raised an eyebrow in interest.
"You joined a party?"
"Yes, Tristan's."
"Who?"
"The boy who was with me at the guild earlier, when you arrived."
Kyle frowned.
"Him..."
He took a bite and grumbled,
"I don't like him."
Rose, intrigued, raised an eyebrow.
"Why? Do you sense something wrong with him?"
Kyle shook his head.
"No... I'm sure he's nice. He must be very popular too..."
He put down his spoon, staring into space with a slightly bored expression.
"There are people... even if they haven't done anything to you, even if you have no reason to, they get on your nerves."
Lys laughed softly. Rose did too, but she did so with a tender shake of her head.
"You're incorrigible, Kyle."
And in that moment of calm, under the soft light of the inn, between the warmth of the meal and the newfound tranquility, the atmosphere relaxed. A new stage had been reached.
The sun had barely pierced through the curtains when Kyle was already on his feet. Despite his aches and pains and barely healed wounds, he intended to return to the guild. The call of adventure still rumbled within him.
He descended the inn's stairs, ready to leave, but stopped dead in his tracks. In the common room, Rose and Lys were sitting at a table, deep in their morning conversation. The sweet smell of toast and eggs wafted through the air.
"Are you going to leave without eating?" Rose asked when she saw him.
Kyle opened his mouth to refuse, but before he could protest, she gestured for him to sit down. He complied, defeated.
As soon as he sat down, a lavish plate was placed in front of him. He didn't even have time to taste it before Rose gently rapped her fist on the table.
"Oh, I forgot. You're banned from missions for a week."
"Huh?!"
"No discussion. You've earned enough in two days to live comfortably for at least two weeks. And if you keep this up, you'll end up in a coffin."
Kyle wanted to protest, but thought better of it. She was right, he knew it. So he looked down at his plate with a sigh.
"You know, Kyle," Rose continued, more gently, "most people become adventurers for the money. Quests are just a way to make a living. And you? Why did you choose this path?"
Kyle looked up. A slight silence fell.
"For the adventure," he replied simply.
Rose and Lys watched him, intrigued. To them, the word was just a vague concept, a romantic illusion.
But to Kyle, adventure was something else. Every mission, every walk in the forest, was like opening a new manga or launching a new game. This sense of the unknown, this surge of excitement at what awaited him... It was what made him tick. This feeling was his drug, his fuel. He had spent many sleepless nights exploring fictional worlds... And now he had the chance to experience one. It wasn't an escape, it was a reason to move forward. A way to accept this new world.
"This is my true quest. Adventure..." he thought with a discreet smile.
After breakfast, temporarily deprived of missions, Kyle decided to repair his equipment. His leather armor was in poor condition, his gloves had holes, and his dagger was worn.
Lys offered to accompany him to buy a chainmail. He accepted without much thought. On the way, they stopped by the guild to collect their respective rewards. Once the formalities were completed, Lys suddenly pulled him towards a group in a corner of the room.
"I'll introduce you to my group!"
Kyle sighed inwardly, uncomfortable with the idea of making introductions. But he followed her anyway.
As soon as he approached, his gaze fell on her. An elf.
Long, pointed ears. Cascading silver hair. A piercing, distant gaze. Pale, perfect skin.
"An elf... A REAL ELF!!!"
An otaku at heart, Kyle stood frozen, his mouth half-open, his eyes shining. He studied her with fascination, almost as if he were scanning her for a character sheet. Images of his favorite waifus flashed through his mind. He silently feasted his eyes, without even realizing it.
But the poor elf, Elaria, tensed under his gaze. She looked away, uncomfortable.
"Kyle!" Lys hissed, shaking him by the shoulder. "Stop staring at her like that, you pervert!"
Kyle blinked and came to, a little red in the face.
"Sorry, this is the first time I've seen an elf in real life... I... uh... messed up."
"Hmph." Elaria looked away, crossing her arms, visibly annoyed.
Lys introduced the members of the group, one by one.
"This is Elaria, an elf archer. Anne, our spearwoman, and Iris, the group's mage. And this is Tristan, our leader."
Tristan extended his hand to Kyle with a friendly smile.
"Nice to meet you. I heard you took on a pack of wolves alone. Impressive."
Kyle loosely shook his hand, staring at him intensely.
"Now I know why I don't like you."
Tristan blinked in surprise.
"What? Why?"
Lys frowned, puzzled.
"You barely know him, why do you say that?"
Kyle crossed his arms, let out a long sigh, and replied with a wry smile:
"It's nothing personal. I just never liked guys surrounded by girls... You know, that guy with the perfect smile, surrounded by a five-star cast of women like it was normal. I already hated those guys. So now, to meet them in real life..."
He turned his head briefly toward Anne, Iris, and Elaria, then fixed his gaze on Tristan's again.
"You represent everything I've never had... and always secretly wanted. Basically, you're the kind of guy I want to gently strangle in a dark corner... but with a smile, of course."
A heavy silence fell. Then Anne burst out laughing.
"Wow, at least that's honest!"
Iris raised an eyebrow, amused.
"He's got style, that guy."
Even Elaria gave a small smile.
Tristan, a little confused, took a step back.
"Huh... I'll... take that as a compliment?"
Kyle shrugged with a half-smile, bitter but sincere.
"As you wish. I'm still coming to terms with the fact that you exist."
As they finished their introductions, Tristan turned to Kyle with a cordial smile.
"Did you come for a quest?"
Kyle briefly looked away from him, his tone sharp as a cold blade.
"No."
He crossed his arms.
"I just came to collect my rewards and repair my equipment. Nothing more."
A slight unease hung. Tristan simply nodded.
"Oh, actually, Anne and I also need our armor adjusted." We can travel together, right?"
Kyle didn't answer. Lys, smiling, accepted in his place.
They went to the counter. Eris, seeing Kyle approach, revealed a genuine smile.
"Well, you look better than yesterday! You can stand up without collapsing, that's already a victory!"
Kyle nodded, giving a discreet smile.
"You get used to the pleasures of the adventurer's life, they say."
Eris laughed lightly and handed him a purse.
"Five silver pieces. A nice reward for a solo adventure. Congratulations."
Kyle's eyes widened. It was ten times more than what Lys had earned the day before. She didn't seem jealous; on the contrary, she was genuinely impressed.
The small group set off towards the artisans' district. As they walked, Lys and Anne naturally grew closer. The two young women began to chat lightly, exchanging laughs and stories about their missions.
Kyle walked in silence, hands in his pockets, occasionally glancing toward the gun shop windows.
Tristan, trying to break the ice, moved slightly closer to him:
"You're always this calm, aren't you? Do you often do solos?"
Kyle didn't even deign to answer him. He stared straight ahead, as if Tristan had become transparent. The group leader waited a few seconds, then shrugged with an embarrassed smile, before slowing his pace to join the girls.
Kyle, however, continued walking in silence, content to make it clear, without a word, that he wasn't in the mood to socialize—especially not with the guy from the harem.
They arrived in front of the forge where Kyle had ordered his equipment. The sign gave off a stifling heat, and the hammering echoed through the cobblestone street. Anne and Tristan seemed familiar with the place. They exchanged a knowing glance before Anne turned to Lys and Kyle.
"Welcome to Gareth's!" The best blacksmith in this part of town."
She had barely finished her sentence when a massive man, bare-chested, covered in soot and sweat, emerged from the workshop. His eyes glittered when he saw Kyle.
"Well, well... I see you're still alive, kid. It's almost a miracle."
Anne burst out laughing. Lys gave Kyle a curious look.
"Do you know each other?" she asked.
"I forged his armor and sword," Gareth replied, crossing his arms.
"I didn't think I'd see this stuff again so soon, especially in this state."
Kyle silently pulled out the leather armor he was wearing. Gareth took it and carefully turned it over. His eyes narrowed as he took in the claw marks, nicks, and black burns.
"That damage isn't just goblins... What did you fight?"
"Goblins. And a few wolves," Kyle replied, as matter-of-factly as could be.
The silence that followed was almost comical. Gareth stared at him for a long time, then shrugged.
"Yeah, wolves. I imagine they were hellwolves."
He obviously didn't believe him, but didn't ask any further. He simply grunted and piled the armor on his workbench.
Lys approached next, a little embarrassed.
"I'd like to order some chainmail, if possible."
"You're lucky, I still have one in stock for small guys like you."
Kyle, for his part, held out his sword.
"This one needs some maintenance too."
Gareth picked up the weapon, and his expression changed for a moment. He recognized the enchanted blade he'd personally forged with a high-level magical strengthening spell—one meant to last for months even in the hands of a seasoned adventurer. And yet, it was already chipped, dulled, and cracked.
This kid's not normal, he thought. And that's exactly the kind of guy I like to forge for.
But he kept his thoughts to himself, simply smiling:
"I'll refurbish it for you. Come pick it up tomorrow."
Once they were out, Anne cheerfully suggested,
"How about we go get something to eat? I know a good tavern nearby."
Kyle wanted to decline and slip away—he planned to secretly test the spells he'd invented against the demonic wolf—but Lys cut him off, arms crossed and a gentle but firm smile.
"You're coming. No discussion."
Kyle heaved a resigned sigh. He could have insisted, but... a part of him wasn't entirely against the idea. Reluctantly, he followed them.
Seated around a table in a small, lively inn, the four adventurers began to chat. Anne, curious, opened the conversation:
"Hey, Kyle, where are you from? Were you an adventurer somewhere else before?"
"From Asterion, and no."
"Do you have a family here?"
"No."
"When did you arrive?"
"Two weeks ago."
Kyle answered with disconcerting detachment. He said the bare minimum, dodging more personal questions with the agility of a ninja. Yet, the two girls seemed amused by his attitude. Tristan, however, didn't give up.
"Are you planning on staying solo for long? We could welcome you into our group. We always have room for a solid guy like you."
Kyle raised an eyebrow and replied with a wry smile, his voice drenched in sarcasm:
"You're definitely the guy surrounded by girls. That alone makes me hesitate."
Lys burst out laughing.
"It wouldn't be so bad, you know. Even temporarily. And if you join a group, Rose will probably let you resume missions sooner."
Kyle remained silent for a moment. He knew she was right. Joining a group could save him time... even if this group reminded him a little too much of the harems he hated so much in his anime.
Finally, he sighed, resting his chin in his hand.
"Okay. But it's temporary. Very temporary."
Tristan smiled, satisfied.
Lys, on the other hand, seemed pleased.
And Kyle, deep down, wondered how much more complicated his life would become from now on.