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“Park Sun-ja-nim, is it really fine to let them meet?”
“Hm? Ah, them? It should be fine. They’re both stable and have been showing much improvement, haven’t they?”
“But still…”
“We only put them in the same starting city because their files showed that there was no aggressive interaction between them. It’s a good chance to see how their relationship will be in-game. The executives have been asking for some solid evidence of the results as well, so depending on how this goes, we may be able to use it.”
“That’s true…”
“Mr. Kim, if you’re anxious, would you like a hug? Your older sister will comfort you.”
“#$&Q$!”

----

The sun had just begun to rise on Granheim, shedding gentle light on the city. The air was crisp and clear, and the cloudless sky promised a day of good weather. Though the night had only just been broken, the city was still full of life and activity. Players milled the streets and filled the taverns, and to service them, NPCs were already up and about.

The trade district in particular was bustling. Players from all walks of life gathered to peddle japtem, equipment items they had acquired from hunting, and their services. Some people sought parties for the day’s hunting, and others were simply there to chat.

In the midst of the business, one woman walked forward. Her face was lovely to behold, but full of shadows; her lips were pressed tight and her eyes were dark, hiding secrets and sorrows. A half-step behind her was a beast with the size and appearance of a dire wolf, but the temperament of dog. Seeing this unusual and eye-catching duo, the players whispered amongst themselves.

“Is that a wolf?”
“Looks like it. It must be tamed.”
“Damn, I’m jealous…”
“Does she already have a party? Her equipment looks good too…”
“Dude, don’t you think she’s pretty? Maybe I should ask her out.”
“She might be an NPC though. I would’ve heard of a girl like her if that wolf follows her around.”

One of the guys had the balls to actually approach the girl, despite her guarded and somber expression. She almost ran into him, so intent was she on the ground. But she halted a step away and slowly looked up, registering the obstruction on her path to the general store.

Donning the beginner tunic and pants but also shiny metal wristguards and an iron sword, the Warrior smiled invitingly at her. “We’ve got a spot in our party, if you’d like to join us for some hunting. I’m a level 7 Warrior, and we’ve got a level 5 Cleric and a level 6 Archer. We’re hunting foxes, and if you join, we can even let you in on a quest we found that has a really good reward.” His voice lowered as he leaned into the girl’s ear. “20 whole Silvers.”

For beginners of that level, 20 Silvers was an astronomical sum. With that much money, you could be well on your way to buying a decent level 10 piece of equipment. Most people would leap at the chance to get in on such a windfall.

The girl didn’t even consider it. She shook her head briskly, stepped to the side, and continued walking. At her immediate and rude rejection, the Warrior reddened and reached out to grab her shoulder. “Hey!”

The moment his hand touched her, the wolf that had been panting harmlessly at her side transformed into a snarling monster. His jaws parted menacingly, revealing a full, deadly set of sharp teeth.

“Holy shit!” The Warrior just about wet his pants and let go as quickly as if he’d touched a hot iron. Everyone who had been watching took a good step back and looked at the girl with more curiosity than before.

For a moment, she seemed rather surprised herself, but that quickly disappeared under her mask of composure. She continued walking again, and the wolf gave one final warning before trotting up to her and shoving his nose into her hand, as if he was asking for praise.

“Damn… maybe she really is an NPC. That was frickin’ boss.”

***

After that unexpected encounter with the Warrior, Crow made her way to the general store without any other incidents. She had considered just leaving the town, since her cause seemed urgent, but on second thought she decided to check out the store once. She had frequented the apothecary next door, but never the general store—it was always crawling with players. Leaving Brutus outside, Crow confirmed that fact when she opened the door and came in.

“Welcome,” called a lady wearing a uniform. “Granheim’s General Store will service all your adventuring needs.”

Crow could see at least three other players in the store. One person, a girl, was waiting impatiently in line while clutching a purple potion and a basket of bread. The other two were young boys who seemed to be in the same group; they were trying to divide the spoils of their night hunt on the counter, clearly holding up the line with their bickering.

“Little bro, I was the one who dealt the finishing blow, so I should get the fang.”
“You ALWAYS take the good stuff! Without my buffs, you wouldn’t last a second out there!”
“C’mon man, let’s be real. You can’t kill anything without me, ‘cus you’re an Enchanter, for fuck’s sake. I’ll take the fang, you can have the fox pelt.”
“Nooooo! A lousy fox pelt is no fun, I want the fang!”

And so it continued for several minutes. Crow surreptitiously looked at the girl out of the corner of her eye while standing in front of the selection of potions. It wasn’t like her to be so curious about someone else, but the girl looked kind of familiar… Crow watched as the girl grew more and more furious, anger swirling around her like an almost visible aura. Finally, when it seemed she would burst, the uniformed lady decided to intervene.

“Sirs, please continue this argument elsewhere. There’s another person in line. Please be sure to return to our store when you’re ready to sell.”

Her smile was toothy and bright, but there was a glint in her eyes that brooked no argument. Sensing this, the boys immediately stopped squabbling, gathered their japtem, and scuttled to the side. The girl in line rolled her eyes and stepped up to finally pay for her items.

Crow was still intrigued, but she tore her eyes away to focus on the matter at hand. The potions were horribly expensive. There were several kinds, Mana, Health, and the ones that cured status effects. She skipped over them and her eyes fell on a map. A map detailing the region’s geography, publicized dungeons, and cities, it too was ridiculously priced. At an entire Gold piece for just one map, it would take all the money that Crow had meticulously saved up for four weeks. But it definitely seemed useful, and she wasn’t particularly attached to the money. She had no idea where the Saigorn Mountains were anyways; she didn’t even know where Granheim was.

As she made her decision and picked up the map, her eyes swept over some of the other items in the store. There was a section for food, but with her Cooking skill and the food she already had in her pack, she didn’t need to buy any. There were also a few outfits and equipment items on sale, but the selection was greatly inferior to the shops specializing in that field on the other side of the street. Finding nothing else that piqued her interest, Crow headed to the counter, where the girl had finished her business and was now turning to leave.

The moment Crow got a full view of her face, she froze. She knew where she had seen that face.

The girl was a fellow inmate.

As their eyes met, a flash of recognition went through the other girl’s eyes. Her mouth opened in surprise.

“Is that you… Ha-yoon?”

“Hye-suk…”

In that instant, the whole world seemed to shake and tremble. She had been feeling so free, she had been alive… and away, away from the real world. In this world, she had been completely cut away from reality, along with everything that she wanted to forget and bury… until now. With Hye-suk’s appearance, reality clashed into the virtual, and this world no longer felt apart, or safe. She suddenly realized that Harpy One could be just as near.

With a sharp intake, she composed herself. There was no use in panicking or freaking out. Besides, Hye-suk wasn’t a Harpy, nor had she ever been cruel to Ha-yoon. In fact, they only knew each other because of their seating assignment in the shoe factory. Hye-suk sat next to Ha-yoon on the rotation, though they hadn’t talked to each other at all. It also meant that Hye-suk was fully aware of what the Harpies regularly did to Ha-yoon.

As these thoughts raced through Crow’s mind, Hye-suk gave her a shy smile. “Who would have thought that I’d meet you here? Heck of a game, isn’t it?”

“…”

“Right, you’re not much for small talk. Though I’m kind of curious about how you’ve been doing so far. I’m only level 8 myself, Swordsman. In-game name is… well, you can call me Boo.”

Boo? That was a little weird, they had only been presented with bird names to choose from, and Crow didn’t know of a bird with a name like that. But there was a look of palpable discomfort on Boo’s face, so she didn’t question it.

“In-game name Crow. Tailor. Level 4, I think.”

Boo was busy being surprised and pitying at the same time when the uniformed lady coughed audibly. Crow stepped around Boo with the map and fished out her savings. As she paid for the map, she could feel Boo’s eyes on her back. The girl was clearly still interested in her, and honestly, Crow could say the same. Compared to the Hye-suk of reality, Boo seemed more cheerful, bright, and… emotive. In the prison, she had seemed far more reserved and indifferent, but here, she acted just like any other girl.

Crow knew that similar changes had occurred to her as well, but seeing it in someone else really made her realize it—Royal Road was responsible for the changes in both of them. Whether those changes would carry out of the capsule was another issue, but in this world, they were almost completely different people.

They walked out of the store together, and Boo received another shock when she saw Brutus rubbing the entire length of his body on Crow with whole-hearted enthusiasm for his master.

“How in the world did you tame a wolf like that?” Boo asked, incredulous and awed.

“I…”

How could Crow explain it all? How could Crow say that it had started with a bawling woman and a sick child, and had ended with the death of everyone she had come to love? How could she put Jay’s shy and bashful first kiss and the pain of losing him into a simple sentence?

“A lot happened,” she said lamely. “I did a quest.”

“Really? What quest was it? Is it still available?”

Crow immediately thought of the undergarment and shoes in her sack as her face darkened. “No, I don’t think so.”

“Oh. That’s too bad. I did a few quests myself, and I’ve been working at a restaurant called the Boiled Egg…”

Boo chattered like that, following Crow around. Crow didn’t really mind, but when they were a minute away from the city gates, Boo sighed with disappointment.

“I’d like to keep chatting, but I’ve got to run. My shift starts soon, and the boss will have my head if I’m late. But before I go, would you like to be friends?”

With a little laugh, Boo flicked her hand a few times and a menu popped up in front of Crow.

Ah. Booby. No wonder…

Crow nodded. It wouldn’t hurt to be friends.

Booby smiled and scratched her head sheepishly. “Dammit, that’s always hella embarrassing. Alright, I’m off. See you around, Crow.”

Crow watched Boo dart away for a while, thinking a little. A friend… what did it mean, in here and in real life? Was this friendship real?

With a shake of her head, she rid her mind of such thoughts. If she decided that this friendship wasn’t real, then that was the same as rejecting all of the feelings she had shared with Jay. They had been friends, even though he was an NPC had someone had programmed into the game. The experiences they had shared were real. His spirit, which emanated gentle reassurance from the shoes, was proof of their bond.

She turned and walked on, and when she reached the city gates, she encountered the third unexpected incident of the day. Old Man Halton was lingering around the gates, seemingly looking for someone. When he noticed her, his expression brightened and he hobbled over.

“Lassie! You gave us a bit of a scare, leaving without a word. Anna and Martin have been asking about Jay all morning long. How is the boy? Not with you today?”

A shadow swept over Crow’s face as she shook her head. “No… I’m sorry for leaving without saying anything.”

Halton looked a bit surprised, and the smile fell from his face. “Ah… Thank you for the work yesterday. We enjoyed your company as well.” He stepped up and gripped Crow’s shoulder. Despite his frail appearance, his grip was firm and strong.

“Thank you,” Crow murmured, her voice subdued. “There’s something I must do, so… I’m leaving Granheim.”

“I see. May the Goddess be with you, lass.”

Halton’s gaze lingered on her as she stepped out of Granheim. He had wanted to ask more, but the look on her face had stopped him. Years of experience had taught him that when someone had an expression like that, it was better not to try and delve deeper. It just made the cuts bleed more.

***

She left Granheim behind her and went through the plains quickly, killing a few foxes and wolves that had sought easy prey. There weren’t many other hunters in the fields yet. Putting her back to a tree, Crow took out the map and opened it. It encompassed the central continent, and after a little searching, she found Granheim. The city was located a little south to the center of the Kingdom called Haven. To the northeast of Granheim was Aean Castle, and to the northwest was the Doria Region and Owal Castle. The Saigorn Mountains were at the very edge of Haven, to the far South. To get there, Crow would have to go through a river and a large forest. She traced her finger along the Frieg River, finding the location of the marked crossing. She would head there first, cross the river, and stop by the village for supplies before going through Forza’s Forest and into the Saigorn Mountains.

It was a long trip for a girl who had only left Granheim twice before. She would surely encounter many monsters on her path, and she was only a Tailor… or actually, a Spirit Weaver. She wasn’t entirely sure if a Spirit Weaver had any more combat ability than a Tailor. But it was certainly good to have Brutus and the spirits of Jay and Jorgen at her back.

If she was to survive this journey, she would have to know how to use every measure she had in her arsenal. She could handle the sword now, though she preferred the dagger. Considering the way Brutus looked at her now and how he never got a foot away from her if he could help it, she was pretty sure that he would give his life for her. And… there were the spirits of Jay and Jorgen. Which she could channel via… was it Spirit Dancing?

“Skill check, Spirit Dancing.”

According to the information window, she only had to call out the name of the spirit. In that case—

“Jay!”

A flash of warm light embraced her, and for a moment, she thought she could hear Jay’s laugh. The effect faded, but the shoes in her inventory stayed glowing and her a little yellow light misted off her body as well. In addition, a fourth of her Health drained before her eyes. If keeping this skill up took 3% of her Mana every minute, she could only use it for a maximum of a little over 30 minutes. Considering her experience with the wolves yesterday, a battle took much less time than that.

She wasn’t entirely sure how useful this would be in battle, but the effects that Jay’s spirit gave her made sense. He had loved adventure, but his physical condition had relegated his ambitions of becoming a Knight or Soldier to the realm of dreams. He had no combat ability.

If that was the case, then…

“Cancel Spirit Dancing with Jay. Jorgen!”

Her Health fluctuated again, but this time, there was a greater change to her body. With the oddest sensation of lengthening and contracting, her face and limbs changed shape and grew fur. A bushy tail sprouted from her behind and ears sprang from her head. An upgrade to her senses accompanied the changes; her hearing and sense of smell improved so dramatically that the sensory overload almost made her faint. Otherwise, it didn’t hurt, just tingled a bit, and when the transformation was over, she marveled over her new form, staring at her furry, clawed paws.

She felt… so much stronger. So much less like a weak Tailor, and more like a… an animal, a beast. Drawing in a deep breath, she picked up the scent of a deer.

As she ran towards the rabbit, eager to try out the abilities of her new form, her speed astounded her. She felt less tired, as well. Brutus kept pace with her, excitement glinting in his eyes. He probably sensed the hunt as well.

The deer noticed them too late and broke away from its placid grazing with a leap fueled by fear. Crow found herself naturally switching to quadruped movement, which boasted greater speed. The wind in her fur and the landscape whizzing by, she caught up to the deer and slashed at its hindquarters. With a desperate cry, the deer tripped and crashed to the ground, bleeding. Brutus was there in the next moment, his teeth tearing into the deer’s throat. Exhilarated, Crow almost dove in as well, but she stopped herself with alarm.

What was she doing? She was no wild wolf, yet she had been about to rip the deer’s abdomen open and eat its entrails.

Realizing that this was another effect of her transformation, Crow drew back with an effort and canceled Spirit Dancing.

‘That was too close…’

She couldn’t control the instinct that came with the transformation. What if a player had been nearby and had seen her? What if she had decided that a human was just as good prey as the deer?

Taking a deep breath, she calmed the rattling in her bones and composed herself again. Until she could control that power better, she would have to stay away from it. For now, she would just use her sword and dagger to fight.

The deer had dropped a few items. Some coins, and some meat. It was a good catch; she could definitely use the meat. Brutus looked at it longingly as she stowed it away, and it almost made her laugh.

This journey would be more interesting than she thought…

***

As she and Brutus ventured farther away from Granheim, the monsters grew stronger. Having grown 6 levels, she could now kill Wolves with ease, but the monsters of the Frieg Region were more powerful than expected. Their levels seemed to be in the 15-20 range, so her life was in danger more than a few times. The Frieg Region was swampy, so there were all sorts of strange monsters, like Giant Frogs and Lizardmen. It was really only thanks to Brutus that she had survived this long.

After the bout with the Lycanthrope transformation, she had stuck to using primarily the dagger, and as a result, she learned Dagger Mastery.

Two Lizardmen showed up just in time for her to test out the new skill. They roared upon discovering her and came at her, screaming, “Intruder! It’s a Human!”

Brutus leapt forward first and drew one away as Crow moved around. She closed in on one, dodged the scimitar it swung with a duck, and slashed a deep gash in the Lizardman’s side before jumping back to avoid another swing of its deadly weapon. She as channeling Jay and had the extra 10% damage now, so one slash brought the Lizardman’s Health down considerably, despite the gap in their levels. When she closed in a second time, she managed to knock the scimitar out of the Lizardman’s grasp and stuck her knife into the monster’s eye, then twisted it while driving it in upwards. The monsters screamed and shattered into grey light. It was a vicious method of fighting, but for a squishy, light damage dealer like herself, it was better to end things as quickly as possible with a fatal blow.

Brutus had already finished off his Lizardman and was sitting on his haunches, panting. Since early in the morning, they had been moving nonstop.

“Alright, let’s take a break,” she said quietly, finding a place that wasn’t wet and sitting down. It was hard to set a fire, but she managed it after a few times with the flint. Then she pulled out some frog meat that they had gotten on the way. It was a bit slimy and smelled unpleasant, but they couldn’t afford to be picky. The food she had brought from Granheim was already used up, and she had eaten much worse anyways.

As Brutus tore into his share of the cooked meat, Crow nibbled on a piece of the frog. It wasn’t bad, actually—it tasted like chicken. She opened the map. After three days of relentless travel, they were very close to the river crossing now, and would likely reach it within the hour.

Her prediction was right. The river came into view, an expanse of swift and cold water. She had hoped to be able to swim across it or something, but that idea was dashed in a single look. She could still see the other side, but the river was deeper and the current more fierce than she had expected. But there was a boat docked on this side, and a small house next to the little dock. Perhaps she could take a ferry.

She got to the boat and called out a few times, but no one was in the vessel, so she went to the house and knocked. It had already taken her so long to get here, and if she had to find another way across the river, it would cost her another few precious days. There was no knowing how long she had until the soldiers of Granheim decided to pursue the Lycanthropes, but she figured that it was best to hurry.

After a few knocks, the door finally opened, showing a glimpse of a large, gruff man. He was unshaven and had dark half-moons under hooded eyes. “What d’you want,” he growled, his tone unwelcoming.

This was certainly not what she had expected. “Do you give people rides across the river?”

“No,” he said bluntly, and was about the close the door, but someone coughed behind him and he whirled around. “Elissa!”

That cough… it reminded her of Jay. She peered into the house. It was a small, dark, and had few furnishings. There was a bed away from the door, and the big man was hunched over it. “Elissa, my baby,” he murmured.

So that was how it was. Crow said nothing, just opened her satchel and pulled out everything she needed. Then she helped herself inside the house and went right up to the stove, putting a pot of water on it. The man noticed her at last and stood up angrily.

“What are you doing? Get out of my house!”

“I can help her.”

“You’re no Cleric, just a rude adventurer! Get out!”

He advanced on her slowly, and right before he reached her, she decided to try channeling Jay. When she did so, the girl on the bed, Elissa, looked up a bit and spoke between coughs, “It’s okay, daddy. She’s telling the truth.”

“Elissa!” The man was by his daughter’s side at once, sounding broken and totally helpless.

“It’s just a chill… I’ll get over it soon and be up before you know it…”

Crow worked quickly. As soon as the water was boiling, she pulled out the bundles of herbs that had once been for Jay, picking out the herbs for soothing coughing, improving respiration, and decreasing fever. She steeped them for the perfect length of time, recalling the days when she had done this daily. When the tea was done, she brought it to the girl in a cup she had found in the sink.

“Drink this.”

The man watched warily, torn between suspicion and desperation. He didn’t trust this stranger who had shown up on his doorstep, but Elissa had come down with the chill three days ago and had only gotten worse. He wanted to cross the river and make the journey to the Neiran Village for medicine, but it would take too long and he couldn’t leave his 12-year old daughter alone. His desperation won over and he let the stranger give the tea to the most precious family member he had left.

Elissa took the cup and wrinkled her nose at its unique smell. “Eurgh,” she said, making a face. “Here goes.”

Crow didn’t wait around. She left the house and came back with freezing water from the river, then soaked a rag in the water. She handed it to the man. “Sponge her down with this. It’ll cool her fever.” Elissa had finished drinking the tea and was drowsing, looking more at ease.

The man took the rag and looked up into Crow’s eyes. “T-thank you,” he said slowly. “I was so scared I’d lose her…”

“Over a cold?”

“I, I’m just a single father, I didn’t know what to do… So thank you. My name is George.”

“I’m Crow.” With that, she turned to leave. If she couldn’t get a ride across the river here, there was no point in sticking around.

“Wait! Wait,” George called out. “Didn’t you say you needed a ride?”

***

Despite the tiredness he exuded, George was a strong and fit man. It took him less than twenty minutes to pole them across the river, and he waved to her as she jumped down from the boat onto the shore.

“Take care, and thank you,” he bellowed, already poling back to his daughter.

She gave him a little wave back before turning and walking in the direction George had told her to go. “Neiran Village is half a day’s journey from the river,” he had said. “Just go south from here and you’ll find it.”

Neiran Village, and Forza’s Forest. She had come this far, but there was no knowing what lay in store for her there.

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