Chapter 15 ~ Wind Wolves.
The sky was blanketed with heavy, brooding clouds, dark and low like a ceiling about to collapse. Thunder tore through the heavens in sharp, snarling bursts—its rumble deep and guttural, shaking the air as if the world itself was gritting its teeth. Flashes of lightning cracked between the clouds, brief white veins illuminating the sky's canvas of gray.
Though it was day, the world was cast in a heavy, colorless gloom. The wind howled—feral, relentless—snapping through the grass like a beast set loose, tossing it in wild waves. It tugged at Hikari's golden hair, sending it whipping sideways with every violent gust, a storm-dancer beneath a sky preparing to break. His beginner adventurer coat, brown and simple, flared behind him with every surge of the wind, slapping against his legs as if trying to hold him back.
Both of Hikari's fists were clenched—so tightly they trembled, veins raised and pale. His piercing blue eyes stared ahead, empty of expression, void of feeling, locked on a blood-stained patch of stone. Torn clothes were scattered across the grass before him.
He understood immediately.
Those were the remnants of the child—small, frightened, crying for help. The same child Hikari had ignored. The same child he'd walked away from... when he logged out.
Hikari bent down—not all the way to the ground, but enough to run his fingers over the bloodied scraps. His hand paused on something cold: three tiny, fragile vials of cracked glass. One of them still barely intact. Inside, a shimmer of red clouded the clear liquid. Blood. And what was left of the Invisibility Elixir… the very one Hikari had given that boy.
A suffocating silence wrapped around him. No birds. No voices. Only the cold stare of a young man trying to feel nothing at all.
And then… the music began.
A sorrowful OST, soft and haunting, rose to meet the tension in the air—its notes harmonizing with the lightning above, as if the sky itself mourned what had happened.
"Seniora... are you here?" Hikari's voice was barely audible, stripped of emotion.
"Yes, Rising Star Hikari.
| What can I assist you with?"
He didn't look at her.
"Do you think it's raining right now?"
There was no rain. Not a single drop had fallen. But the scent of it was in the wind—earthy, raw, electric.
"Yes… it's raining heavily."
Hikari slowly rose to his feet. He didn't brush off the grass. He simply began to walk, his back turned to the scene, his boots pressing into the thick green, though the sound of his steps was swallowed by the raging wind.
Above his head, red letters floated:
RISING STAR
Level 9
The grass swallowed his frame, but the wind kept his silhouette sharp against the horizon.
"Hikari,
| what are you thinking right now?"
"I'm trying… trying to convince myself this is just a game."
Silence. Only the wind.
"And?
| What's the result?"
The storm raged. The silence screamed. Hikari's features finally came into view—a calm, quiet anger carved into his face like stone. His blue eyes burned cold.
"Failure, of course. I need to find whoever did this… and erase them completely."
A thunderclap struck—sharp, vicious—echoing the finality in his tone.
"I don't know what happened while you were logged off.
| But I know one thing—I was right, and you were wrong.
| You should've given the boy time.
| Do you object to that?"
"…No. Just tell me something that might help me extinguish this anger."
"How strange.
| You're furious, and yet… I can hardly tell by looking at you.
| You seem calm, even now."
"There's always calm… before a storm."
Wind surged around him once more.
"I see.
| It appears to be the work of Wind Wolves."
Hikari looked up at the sky, voice low.
"Wind Wolves? I don't know… but this weather suits the name of such a creature."
"I have no data on them.
| They're from another region.
| You're prohibited from entering it unless your level reaches ten."
"Then how did they get here?"
"The world is open, both to monsters and players.
| Only players are bound by region locks.
| Monsters… are not."
He exhaled slowly.
"Unusual, compared to most games."
"This game is different.
| Even monsters… have a will of their own."
Hikari clenched his fists again, walking onward.
"Then I will crush that will with my own hands… when I find those cursed wolves."
The minutes slipped by as Hikari trudged forward through the tall grass, the wind still howling across the open field. The sky above remained thick with clouds, casting a muted gray light over everything. Occasionally, a gust would sweep through, tugging at his coat and hair, yet he pressed on in silence—until finally, he spoke.
"By the way... you mentioned you had some information about the game system and rules before I logged out?"
Oh? Has curiosity finally caught up with you?
"Let's hear what might actually help me."
Royal Fantasy Elixir is divided into multiple regions. From the data I received, there are at least ten zones. However, I lack detailed knowledge of what lies within each, or beyond their borders.
He said nothing, listening as he walked, while she continued.
Currently, we are within an area known simply as the Remnants of Old Rona.
At that exact moment, he passed by a pale stone column standing crooked and broken in the grass—a remnant of some forgotten building. Cracks webbed across its surface, chunks missing, worn smooth by time and weather. Hikari approached it cautiously, his fingers brushing the cold surface.
"…It's not going to turn into a monkey or anything, right?"
It is said that one day, we may find the New Kingdom of Rona in one of the outer regions—where the survivors of the old empire supposedly resettled.
His blue eyes searched around the pillar. Just more grass. More wind.
"How many years... or rather, how many centuries have passed since then, I wonder…"
He left the ruin behind, starting to walk again. Then something fluttered past his eyes—a luminous butterfly, glowing with a soft, green light. It danced and weaved through the long blades of grass, its wings like emerald silk in motion. Entranced, Hikari broke into a run after it.
The wind surged around him. His boots thudded against the ground, chasing the flicker of light. His hand stretched out, trying to grasp it—but the moment it sensed danger, the butterfly's glow intensified. With a sharp flick of its wings—
A wave of wind erupted outward, flashing with blue and white and pale green.
"Wha—!?"
The blast slammed into him like a wall, lifting his body off the ground and hurling him backwards. He crashed into the same stone column with a dull thud, the impact knocking the air from his lungs. For a long second, he just stared upward, stunned.
The butterfly was already a glowing speck in the sky, leaving behind a trail of light that shimmered like stardust.
Hand pressed against the column, golden hair tousled and falling over his eyes, he muttered, "What... was that?"
Sample analyzed. Interface loading.
A transparent blue panel blinked into view in front of him:
Name: Wind Butterfly
Rank: B
A soft green image of the butterfly filled most of the frame. In the top corner: a glowing blue "B."
Info:
Wind Butterflies are rare elemental creatures. They cannot be caught by bare hands due to the defensive wind burst triggered by fear. Special catching tools are required. They feed on Windbloom petals and often fly near grassy fields. Their essence is used in crafting Rank B Elixirs.
The panel faded as quickly as it appeared. Hikari looked at his hand and sighed.
"…Guess I just missed out on a Rank B elixir. But these butterflies... this isn't their natural zone, is it?"
Correct. Wind Butterflies belong to Region Three. But while we're on the topic, allow me to finally explain what you've been ignoring. Regions One through Three contain resources and monsters ranging from Rank D to Rank B.
Regions Four and Five? They're based on Rank A content. Elixirs, weapons, treasures, beasts. Region Six is where the first legendary tier—Rank S—appears. No 'noobs' survive there.
Regions Seven and Eight house Rank SS content. And finally... Region Nine? Rank SSS.
As she spoke, Hikari walked onward. The clouds overhead began to thin, bit by bit. The rumble of thunder had faded, and patches of soft blue sky peeked through the gloom. His gaze lifted slightly.
"You mentioned ten regions, though…"
Unfortunately, I've received no data on the final area. Not even a name. All I got from the system was the tiered ranking breakdown.
He smirked faintly. "Of course. Their way of tempting the player, keeping them going... So? That's all?"
Not quite. We still need to discuss death.
"Can't you postpone it—or maybe give me the short version?"
Players below level 45 lose ten levels upon death. Seventy-five percent of their money. Any weapon used in combat before death? Gone. Same with active elixirs.
"…Strict rules. What about players above 45?"
Same penalties—except they lose twenty levels.
"If someone's level 80 and dies, they go back to 60? How is this game still alive?!"
That, precisely, is why it thrives. It's competitive. Ruthless. Like a battle royale. A long quest for a One Piece-style end.
"That's… a little insane. Anyway, am I even headed the right direction?"
Yes. Why not activate the map to confirm?
Hikari said, "Map," and a massive, semi-transparent projection appeared before him. Most of it was greyed out—locked. Only a patch of green where he stood remained visible.
"This map's enormous. Looks like this grassy place—'Remnants of Old Rona''—is just a basic intro zone."
He pinched and zoomed with his fingers, scanning details. His eyes widened.
There—marked deep within the green—a monster icon.
"Stone Gorilla… huh."
The map faded to nothing. He raised one hand over his forehead, shielding his eyes like a scout.
"I can see it… even from here. Just barely."
[ A/N ]
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