Bonds and Blood

Noah adjusted the Shadowveil Cloak over his shoulders, feeling its fabric shift subtly, seamlessly adapting to the warmth of the bustling city. Thanks to its enchantment, a cool sensation wrapped around him. The weight was barely noticeable, yet he could tell it offered significant protection.

As he maneuvered through the bustling streets of Crystalmere, Noah's thoughts drifted back to the player he had glimpsed in the city square.

Maybe I should look for him now...

With that in mind, he quickened his pace, heading toward a tavern he vaguely remembered. It was an old, run-down place—just as he recalled.

Stopping just before the entrance, he muttered to himself, "He must be in there… just like the good old days."

The moment Noah stepped into the tavern, he didn't hesitate. "HEY, LUCAS! I KNOW YOU'RE HERE, YOU BASTARD! SHOW YOURSELF!" he yelled, his voice echoing through the dimly lit room. 

Before he could take another step, a fist shot out of nowhere—slamming straight into the top of his head with a loud THWACK! 

A comically large bump instantly swelled up. 

"OWWW! DAMN IT, THAT HURTS, YOU BASTARD!" Noah clutched his head, wincing in pain as he stumbled back. 

Lucas stood before him, shaking his hand like he had just punched a rock. "That's for screaming like an idiot," he muttered. 

Noah groaned, rubbing the comically large bump on his head. "You didn't have to hit me that hard…"

"How did you know I was here?" Lucas asked, raising an eyebrow.

Noah smirked. "We used to come here all the time to chat whenever we were in Crystalmere. Remember?"

Lucas nodded. "Yeah, I remember."

Noah leaned forward. "So, you know about the system reset, right?"

Lucas sighed. "Yeah. Looks like everything got wiped—friend lists, guild systems, even kingdom ownerships. It's like a complete restart."

Noah swiftly raised two fingers and swiped left.

"Menu, open."

A translucent blue interface appeared before him. He browsed through the menu, navigating to the Friends tab.

His eyes narrowed as he saw the empty list. With a thought, he selected [Add Friends] and typed in a familiar name.

___________________________

[Friends List]

No friends added.

Looks a little empty in here...

[Add Friends]

Search Player: Lucas Sinclair

Status: Online

➤ [Send Friend Request]

___________________________

Noah swiftly sent the friend request and stared at Lucas with a smirk.

A translucent blue interface appeared in front of Lucas, casting a faint glow on his face as the request hovered in front of him.

___________________________

[Friends Request]

Incoming Request:

Noah Vance – Level 1

➤ Accept

➤ Decline

___________________________

Lucas glanced at the glowing interface before him, then looked at Noah with a smirk.

With a simple tap, he selected [Accept].

A soft chime echoed as the system confirmed the request.

Ding! Noah Vance has been added to your friends list.

Lucas crossed his arms. "There. Happy now?"

Noah grinned. "Of course. Now, let's get down to business."

Noah and Lucas made their way to an empty table in the dimly lit corner of the tavern. The worn wooden chairs creaked under their weight as they sat down, the flickering lanternlight casting shifting shadows across the room.

Leaning forward, Noah rested his elbows on the table, his expression turning serious. "Alright, let's get down to business. Your main priority is getting stronger, right? So, where do we start?"

Lucas leaned back slightly, tapping his fingers against the wooden table. "Remember that hidden dungeon a player discovered? The one where the mobs were way stronger than anything near Crystalmere? He barely made it out alive before a strike team went in and cleared the place. They walked away with a massive amount of EXP and some seriously good loot."

Noah nodded. "Yeah, I remember."

Lucas leaned in, a smirk playing on his lips. "Then how about we raid that dungeon—just the two of us—before the veterans start exploiting their knowledge?"

Noah stood up, stretching his arms. "Sure, that sounds good to me."

Lucas, still seated, narrowed his eyes and stared at Noah for a moment before asking, "By the way… why the hell are you wearing such an ordinary-looking cloak? You might want to upgrade your gear first."

Noah smirked, touching the fabric of the edges of his cloak. "Ordinary? You sure about that?"

With a flick of his wrist, he activated the cloak's enchantment. The fabric shimmered briefly before darkening, its texture shifting like living shadows. A faint pulse of energy rippled across the material.

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Huh… not bad." He leaned back slightly, tapping his fingers on the table. "Still, we should make sure we're fully equipped before heading to that dungeon. No point rushing in half-prepared."

"Oh, by the way, what's that sword you've got in that scabbard?"

Noah grinned, placing a hand on the hilt of his sword. "Oh, this?" He unsheathed it slightly, revealing the jet-black blade with crimson engravings pulsing faintly along its edge.

Lucas's eyes widened. "Wait… that design… is that Bloodhymn?"

Noah fully drew the sword, letting its eerie glow reflect in the dim tavern light. "Yeah. Got it from a simple delivery quest." He smirked. "Easy, right?"

Lucas let out a low whistle. "That's an A-Grade sword. You seriously just got that from an NPC?"

Noah shrugged. "Guess I got lucky."

Lucas leaned forward, his expression turning serious. "Well, with that thing, our dungeon run just got a whole lot easier."

The scene shifts abruptly from the dimly lit tavern to a blood-soaked alleyway at the edge of Crystalmere.

A strangled gasp echoed through the narrow street as a player collapsed to the ground, eyes wide with terror. Blood pooled beneath him, his body twitching as the last vestiges of life faded away. Standing over him was another player, clad in dark, mismatched armor, his blade still dripping crimson.

Without hesitation, the killer knelt and placed a hand on the corpse. A faint glow pulsed as the slain player's items and skills transferred seamlessly into his inventory.

A chilling smirk crept across his face.

At that moment, a translucent interface flickered to life in front of him—a call notification.

___________________________

[Incoming Call]

Damian Kross

➤ Accept

➤ Decline

___________________________

With a flick of his fingers, he accepted the call.

"It's done, Damian" he murmured, his voice devoid of emotion. "The skills transferred perfectly. Just like we planned."

The voice on the other end of the call chuckled darkly.

"Excellent… so the mechanic I discovered wasn't just a one-time bug."

The killer wiped the blood off his blade, his smirk widening. "Yeah. It works exactly like you said. Skills, items—everything transfers perfectly."

"Good." Damian Kross replied, his tone laced with satisfaction.

The killer's smirk deepened as he leaned against the bloodstained alley wall.

"Hey, Damian, I think it's time we head back to that hidden dungeon—the one we raided in the early days of the game," he said, his voice laced with anticipation.

There was a brief pause before Damian responded. "So, you finally think we're ready to claim it for ourselves?"

The killer glanced at his newly acquired skills, his fingers twitching with excitement. "With this method, we'll be stronger than we ever were back then. This time, no one will be able to stop us."

Damian chuckled. "Then let's not waste any time. We move tonight."

The scene abruptly shifts back to Noah and Lucas, now traveling along a winding dirt path leading to the outskirts of Crystalmere. The sun dipped lower into the horizon, casting a golden glow over the landscape as the shadows of the towering trees stretched long across the ground.

Soon, as dusk settled in, they arrived at their destination.

Before them stood the entrance to the Forgotten Crypt, a hidden dungeon shrouded in mystery since its discovery. The entrance was nothing more than a massive crevasse in the earth, jagged rock formations framing its descent into darkness. An eerie mist seeped out from within, carrying a faint, unnatural chill.

Lucas let out a low whistle, staring into the abyss. 

"Looks pretty daunting to me", said Lucas with a chuckle.

Noah smirked, gripping the hilt of his sword. "Good. That means we're in the right place."

Noah and Lucas had no idea about what they were about to face.

Unknown to them, a full strike team was already on the move—headed straight for the Forgotten Crypt. Their footsteps were silent, their formation disciplined. At the front of the group, Damian Kross walked with an air of absolute confidence, Determined to raid the dungeon and claim its rewards for himself.

The hunt was about to begin.