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Shiu raised his staff high and cast Thundercloud! A mass of shadow descended, covering the knights ahead.

“Did night fall already?” one knight muttered in confusion.
“No… look above!” another cried out in alarm.
“Holy crap!” The knights raised their heads, cursing inwardly, ‘what the hell, did he summon a whole storm cloud?!’

**Zzz—Zzz! Boom!**

Both knights were struck by lightning at once, their bodies convulsing violently as the shock coursed through them. At the same time, the explosive trap Lordsey had planted was blasted apart by the thunderbolt.

*Boom!*

Both knights were thrown backward, bodies crashing to the ground.

“Healers, heal them already! Don’t just stand there!” Spark shouted in a panic.

“Oh?” At some unknown moment, Nangong had appeared behind Spark’s group. He loosed a Guardbreak Arrow straight at the healer, and then Snowy followed up with a Pulse Fist that finished the target instantly.

Zaria, meanwhile, chained her attacks to lock down another healer. They had been outflanked! And before the two mages could even cast a spell, Endless Sea *charged* in with a Taunt, locking them down completely.

“Damn it!” Spark roared unwillingly. But the outcome of Rainflower’s defeat had already been sealed.

***

The rest of the journey passed in silence. Morthar moved at incredible speed, yet its gait remained steady and smooth, as though it were gliding just above the ground.

Zane’s drowsiness grew heavier, his consciousness hazy with sleep. His gaze fell on Starry’s profile, her tender, flawless skin soft and luminous. His small hand reached out without thinking.

Her skin was warm and delicate to the touch, and his awareness was on the verge of drifting away… His right hand slid from her cheek, while his left arm slipped around her alluring waist, joining together with his right. His small body leaned gently against her back.

Zane’s golden hair fluttered in the wind, and in Elna’s form, the sight of him resting against Starry on Morthar’s broad back formed a picture of ethereal beauty.

Starry gently brushed the small hand encircling her waist, her gaze tender and full of affection.¹ Yet tears slipped silently down her face, falling onto her pale arm one after another.

“I wonder… when will we meet again?” Starry whispered softly.

As if sensing her sorrow, Morthar slowed its pace, allowing both its passengers to drift into a peaceful sleep.

***

“Uuuhhh…” Zane slowly opened his eyes. ‘So sleepy… Did I actually fall asleep inside the game?’

His arms tingled strangely, and his whole body felt limp, drained of strength. The first thing in his view was a cascade of purple hair.

‘Did I doze off while leaning against Starry…?’

At the same moment, through Starry’s avatar, Zane felt her waist bound as if locked in place, held tightly. The sensation was uncomfortable. Glancing down through her eyes, he saw a pair of soft, white hands wrapped firmly around her!

“Whoa!” Zane jolted fully awake, startled out of his daze. Thinking it through, he realized those arms were his main body’s limbs. Though the shock still rattled him.

‘When did I end up wrapping my arms around Starry like this? I don’t even remember doing it. And… why does her cheek feel a little stiff…’

He moved Starry’s hand to gently rub at her eyes, and to his surprise, fresh tears welled up.² He quickly pulled a copper mirror from his inventory—don’t get the wrong idea, this was something Starry herself had bought! In the reflection, Starry’s beautiful face appeared, her breathtaking crimson eyes still carrying faint streaks of dried tears.

‘Did I have a nightmare? I don’t feel anything at all.’

Suddenly, Zane realized the scenery around them had ceased to shift, Morthar had stopped moving.

“Stop, strangers!” The piercing, screeching voice cut through the air, more beastlike than human. Looking up, he saw two short goblins, each gripping a stubby bow. Their bodies were small and thin, and their skin was a sickly, unnatural white.

A rare color indeed. Even stranger, the health bars above their heads weren’t red but yellow, marking them as neutral creatures.

After realizing these goblins bore no hostility, Zane and Starry leapt down from Morthar’s back and walked forward.

A level 25 Epic-ranked goblin. Its attributes looked decent enough.

Once the goblins realized their visitors were only two human girls, they finally breathed easier. Truth be told, when they first saw that massive beetle, they thought their lives were forfeit.

“Don’t come any closer. You’d best turn back immediately. A battle will soon break out here,” the leading Snowfeather Goblin said.

Seeing such unexpected politeness, Zane tilted his head curiously. “A battle?”

“It has nothing to do with you.”

“…What a cold shoulder.” Zane muttered, shaking his head before turning to leave.

Were they really going to walk away? Of course not. After all, they had just discovered a brand-new map! There was no way they’d abandon it now. They were simply going to scout elsewhere first.

“Wait!” the other goblin suddenly called after them.
“What is it?”
“…” The goblin hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Humans, could you lend us that giant beetle?”
“Are you insane!? Asking humans for help?” the first goblin exclaimed in disbelief.
“What else can we do? Should we just sit here and wait to die!?”
“….”

‘What’s going on?’ Zane narrowed his eyes in thought. “Lending it is out of the question.”

The two goblins lowered their heads, their expressions dejected.

“However, we can help you directly,” Zane declared confidently.

The two goblins scrutinized the pair of human girls. Stripped of their clothes, would there even be much flesh left? They looked like walking matchsticks, their limbs soft and frail. Could they even lift a bucket of water?

“You two… are far too weak.”
“Seriously?” Zane clicked his tongue. “You think you can tell that just by looking at our bodies?”
“Icy Moon Slash!” Starry’s delicate cry rang out. Frosty power surged up the Autumn Moon Sword, crashing down onto the giant boulder beside them.

The strike split the stone clean in half, while frost spread across its surface, freezing it into solid ice! The two goblins gaped, their jaws hanging open in speechless shock.

…

At last, they accepted Starry’s strength. Only then did they begin recounting the situation.

The Valley of Luminara had originally been uninhabited, filled with naturally growing radiant crystals. Humans discovered it first, turning it into a famous crystal-mining site. Unfortunately, as the Dark Faction’s influence spread and humans suffered defeat after defeat, their defenses were forced to shrink, and the valley was eventually abandoned.

Without human experts stationed there, new occupants quickly arrived—the Diamond Lizards. Of course, that did not imply they were of Mystic rank. As the name suggested, the bodies of Diamond Lizards were as hard as diamonds, and they wielded the powers of various elements. After all, lizards were still considered a branch of the dragon race, though their bloodline was exceedingly thin.

Worse, these uninvited guests numbered in the hundreds. Even the Dark Faction found them troublesome. Perhaps for that very reason… The goblins had become the unfortunate sacrifices.

There were dozens of goblin clans, and not all were hostile to humans. Some, like the Snowfeather Goblins, chose to remain neutral. Those unwilling to fight on the battlefield were forced to relocate to the Valley of Luminara. There, faced with overwhelming threats, they lived in constant fear.

The Snowfeather Goblins, of course, stood no chance against the Diamond Lizards. No one knew what the Dark Faction was really thinking.