"You killed him." The ambiguity of Miote's tone made it unclear if he meant it as a statement or a question. "Why?" That clarified things.

"Wrong question." Kashi stooped over the mayor's body as it returned to the circle. "It's not 'why did I kill him,' it's 'why should I not have killed him?'" He picked a master key and blueprint left behind as loot. "There was simply no reason not to."

"Not that it matters, but you did make a pledge," Miote retorted.

"Technically, I am the furthest thing from a knight," Kira scoffed. "That was going to be your answer, was it not?"

Kashi flashed a glare, which she glibly ignored. "Technically, I'm no knight," he ground out through clenched jaws and tried his best to ignore Kira's chuckle.

Miote watched the scene with fascination. There was not the slightest hint of guilt in the daeben's features, but at the same time, no justification either. This was because, to the daeben, killing the mayor was an action akin to crushing an ant. There was neither a need for guilt nor justification for such basic actions.

Kashi opened the blueprint and examined it. It was a blueprint of the mansion itself, detailing the structure and rooms in the house. It also revealed many hidden passages, storage rooms, and hideouts. Judging from the blueprint alone, the daeben knew the house would be a goldmine. Unfortunately, he did not have the luxury of time to fully explore.

Instead, he headed straight downstairs. He looked to the destroyed doorway and shook his head. Maybe he had overdone it. He led Drixlia by the reins to a nearby window, which he smashed open. The group jumped out the window then circled to the entrance, where they were greeted with a most intriguing sight.

Hektor rested against one of the fountains, battleax beside him. Blood-soaked hair fell around his face like a curtain, his eyes fixed on the splotches of blood that caked the earth. His foes vanquished with nary a scratch on him, the warrior awaited the return of his charge.

If it wasn't for the urgency of his mission, the daeben would have sat down right there to paint a portrait. Instead, he took a mental picture, then called out as he walked up to Hektor.

"Hey, how'd it go?"

Hektor grunted. "Barely a challenge." He frowned as a thought crossed his mind. "Was like I could see without seeing. Never felt anything like it before."

Miote's brow rose in question. What the heck did that even mean?

It was not the merchant's fault he could not comprehend the warrior's words. Afterall the phenomenon Hektor experienced was one only veteran fighters achieve after maximizing the use of all their senses. Unlike Kashi, who at least had [Dark Eyes], Hektor had fought blind throughout his stay in the canyon. To survive, he had unconsciously pushed every sense he had to their limits.

The result was a phenomenon similar to Mind's Eye but not as clear. Instead, it was closer to an advanced form of [Warrior's Instinct], where one could instinctively perceive movement. Thus the 'seeing without seeing.'

Kashi nodded and patted Hektor on the shoulder as he passed. He led the party to a bungalow at the back of the house. He used the master key to open the lock, then stepped aside, letting Hektor pull the doors open.

A burst of dust engulfed them as trapped air escaped all at once.

Kashi shielded his eyes from the dust as he approached the entrance. The wind died down, and he was finally free to really look into the building.

His eyes widened as magelights lit up the interior.

This was no storage room. This was a storage hall!

It was filled to the brim with paintings, sculptures, musical instruments, paint, brushes...

If there was an item related to art one could think of, it was present in the densely packed hall. However, most were severely damaged to the point of no return.

To an artist, this was like arriving in paradise only to find some annoying animal had defecated all over the place.

For the first time, Kashi felt joy from killing. If he had not killed that mayor, he would probably have regretted it for a long, long time. Unfortunately, as much as he wanted to go through all the artwork present, he had a mission to do.

Hektor and Miote assisted Kashi in clearing out only the musical instruments, numerous as they were.

The daeben took out his blacksmith tools, then set to work on the damaged instruments. While he would have loved to rush the process, he knew too well the folly of a rushed work.

Night gave way to day, but he was not done until the sun was at its apex, scalding heat chipping ever so slightly from his stats and health.

Bang!

With a final swing of his hammer, Kashi finished the final instrument.

Kashi heaved a sigh of relief as he got to his feet and surveyed his work. Somehow, he had been able to restore every single one of the instruments. This included those that were supposed to be damaged beyond repair. Unfortunately, his reserve raw materials suffered a heavy blow. There wasn't much more he could craft, so Kashi decided to craft a new set of weapons.

From Lunette's information, Kashi knew there were two new additions to the party, and one was a swordsman. As he set to work crafting the new weapons, he was once again faced with the fact that he was incapable of crafting magical items like staffs, or charmed bracelets.

Sure, Rosalio's brush granted some bonus based on the element used. Still, even the brush was limited in the amount of power it could offer, and there were some stat bonuses even the brush was incapable of granting. From the enchantment books he had obtained in Rosendun, he understood the theory behind enchanting. In fact, just from reading, his enchantment skill was at Beginner level 7.

However, to date, Kashi had been unable to put the theory into practice.

Kashi shook his head. Best to focus on one thing at a time. Within half an hour, he was done crafting the new set of weapons. He placed them in his inventory, then looked to the instruments.

There were simply too many of them. There was no way he would be able to fit them all into his inventory. With that in mind, he took out most of the materials in his inventory, including his leatherworking and tailoring tools, and all materials he should not need for the next two days.

Even with the extra space, there was still no way he could fit all the materials into his inventory. How the hell was he supposed to transport the instru- Wait, he was asking the wrong question. How did they transport the materials here in the first place? He shook his head. His train of thought had been flawed from the beginning. He had been thinking in line with the terrain of the desert, where it was almost impossible to use wheels. The ground here, which resembled the wastelands from wild west movies, was far more wheel-friendly. This meant they most likely used a carriage, or something similar.

A proud mayor like that probably had some carriages around for his visits to town.

Kashi circled the compound, and sure enough, he found a carriage and even better, a caravan at the back. Six horses stood at the caravan's helm in series of two, heads bowed as they awaited their masters.

"Well trained," Kashi mumbled to himself as he inspected the beasts. Most horses would have panicked and run off because of the noises from the earlier fight. These must have been trained to suppress their natural instinct to flee. Most likely, they were repurposed war horses.

"So it ain't only humans who long for the battlefield," Hektor remarked as he walked up to the daeben. He patted one of the horses. "These are some fine beasts. The fire's long since gone from their eyes, though."

"The training's not gone though," Kashi replied. He took the reins of the lead horse and led the caravan to the front. "Help me load these instruments into the caravan."

Hektor did as asked and assisted the daeben in loading the instruments. When they were done, he entered the house, then returned with a sack of provisions which he tossed into the caravan. He then clambered onto the rider's seat while Kira hopped into the caravan. Miote made to join her, but Kashi placed a hand on his shoulder. "You are not needed there."

Miote raised a brow. He had not yet fully decided if he should be offended by that statement or not. "I assure you I can take care of myself."

"Your prowess is not in doubt. However, I do require your expertise here."

Miote looked around the compound, then nodded. "I understand."

Kashi handed him the master key and blueprint. "I'll be counting on you."

"No problem," assured the chesch. Kashi mounted Drixlia, then led the caravan out of the compound. He didn't once glance back as the compound receded into the horizon. His eyes were now fixed on a target far away, and he could not afford to waste even a millisecond.

If he had not been in such a hurry, then perhaps he might have realized that a significant clue to his enchantment problems lay inside the fountains, their blue light pumping an endless stream of water.

Rine's Bar,

Meilfour.

Next to two Therium Rhinos, a despairing Muko sat on the bar's porch, head buried in his hands. What had he been thinking!? He had been overwhelmed by the strength of that daeben and foolishly placed a massive bet on his success. If he failed, the cost wouldn't be a few Syros, but would be his life! But even as his hands rattled and his feet shook, behind his hands, a faint smile played across the barkeep's face.

This was because deep inside, he realized that these feelings of fear and anticipation were his first real emotions in over a decade. Some might call him crazy, but the feelings were almost worth the ultimate price he would have to pay.

Just then, the town bell cried out as it was smacked desperately with an iron rod (the bulb had long since broken, and there were no funds to fix it.)

Three sharp rings, a pause, then two sharp rings.

That was the signal for the mayor's caravan.

Muko paled. There were no inspections due, so if the mayor's caravan approached, then it only meant the Order's soldiers were in the back. And those soldiers only knew mayhem and destruction.

"What have I done?" Muko got to his feet as the sound of the caravan got closer. He clenched his fists as the caravan rounded the corner and came into view. He was tired of being afraid. He would face them head-on. Perhaps they would focus on him alone and leave the rest of the tow-

Wait, that driver...

Muko could not help but scream out a triumphant shout as Hektor and Kashi pulled up alongside him. "Looks like I get to live another day. How did your mission go?"

"The mayor's dead," Kashi stated as he got off Drixlia. He walked over to the caravan and begun releasing the horses from their harnesses.

"He is?" The barkeep could not decide if he was shocked or pleased. "How? Why?"

"Like I told my partner, there simply was no reason not to." Kashi released the last of the horses, but as he expected, they didn't even attempt to run off. "More importantly, could you help me to care for these horses until my return. I will reimburse whatever expenses you use."

"Never mind that," Muko refused. "For someone who's given me two days of thrills, the least I can do is care for a few horses."

"Thank you." Kashi guided one of the Therium Rhinos to position itself in front of the caravan. He then proceeded to attach harnesses to its sides. He was not oblivious to the strange look he received from the keep. "Is there a problem?"

"No, not that. It's just, I've never seen a Therium used as a work animal. They are bred and used solely for war."

"Really? A direct opposite of the horse then."

Confused, Muko raised a brow in question.

'Oh, yeah, their history's different.' "In other worlds, the horse was bred as a work animal and used only as such for a long time. At least until someone had the idea for chariots, and much later, someone had the grand idea to actually ride one."

"Would that not mean that you are the first in this world to do this?"

Kashi shook his head as he tightened the last harness. "There have definitely been one or two who have tried this. They might have run into complications, or they were not famous enough to be trendsetters."

"Trendsetters?"

Kashi was impressed. So the developers had made it, so some words did not make sense to them as it had nothing to do with their history. "It means those who influence the actions of others."

"Ah, you mean like heroes and kings?"

Kashi walked over to Drixlia and patted the beast. "Yes, I suppose you could say they are prime examples."

"Then wouldn't you be one too? After all, you're a hero."

Kashi's eyes darkened as he mounted his ride and steered him towards the road. He nodded his goodbye, then trodded off. "I am the furthest thing from."

The reason the daeben had switched the horses for the Theriums was for their superior speed. Regular horses moved at almost 28mph, but since he didn't have a speedometer, he experienced the pace as fast. Higher grade horses were very fast, but the Therium's were super fast.

Drixlia though was one of those rare horses that defied logic. He easily kept pace with the Rhinos, and Kashi got the feeling he still had not hit top speed.

Kashi glanced at the caravan and almost felt sorry for Hektor.

The reason the Rhinos were not a traveling phenomenon was ironically because of their speed. Most caravans would have broken apart from the stress, but even those strong enough to withstand the pressure were beyond uncomfortable. The high speed caused the caravan to shake terribly, causing its contents to mix and smash against each other like a smoothie.

Kira had long since abandoned the caravan, opting to sprint alongside them as a better alternative to being hit upside the head by an instrument for the umpteenth time.

Hektor, on the other hand, had no such luck. Charged with keeping the Rhino in check, he could not leave the driver's seat where he bobbed up, down and sideways like a bubblehead. It was quite hilarious to watch, though the man himself most likely did not find it the least bit amusing.

The trio raced across the wasteland at full sprint, desperate to meet up with their mates.

Lib Tahos

Hours later, Kashi and his crew arrived at the village. Both men and steeds were exhausted as they trotted to a halt, weary from the journey.

As much as he wanted to rush into the mine right away, the daeben had enough experience to know a tired party was a dead party. Instead, he took out the provisions from the caravan and shared it amongst them. It was not much, mostly fruits and vegetables. The technology to preserve meats, fish, and other foodstuffs were still interestingly foreign to this world.

Kashi finished his fruits at lightning speed, then instructed the rest to get some sleep once they too were done eating. After telling Hektor to wake him in an hour, he entered the caravan to inspect the instruments. Sure enough, some of them had been damaged from the ride, but none too seriously. He started fixing them and was done within half an hour.

Satisfied,he placed his tools in his inventory then closed his eyes for a quick nap.

Kashi stretched as he woke from a deep slumber, realizing he had not slept this well in a long ti-

What!?

Kashi dashed out of the caravan and frowned when he saw the sun beginning to set. It was around noon when they arrived. He had been asleep for hours!

"You're finally awake," Kira called as she walked up to him. The alertness in her gaze let him know that she'd been awake for a while.

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"Sorry, Kash," Hektor called from atop the caravan. "But you needed the rest. You haven't slept since Suvron's."

The daeben sighed. What's done was done. No point arguing over it.

Because the mine was now his property, the entrances were marked on his map. Kashi led his party to the mine's entrance, pleased to see it was wide enough to fit the caravan.

He left Drixlia outside, then entered, followed closely by the caravan.

The journey through the mine was not entirely smooth. On his way, Kashi encountered a spider-like beast. Only, it stood on two stumpy legs, with four legs on its head, which it used to fight. It also could spit out acid. Hence why the game had so rightly dubbed it 'Spitter.'

It took some time, but Kashi dispatched the beast with relative ease. What interested him, however, was the stone it dropped as loot. Just touching it, he could feel the power welling inside. "Inspect."

The party encountered many more of these soul stone creatures, even of different species, one of which was an electric hamster-fox. With each encounter, Kashi gathered more of the stones. Sure, he didn't have the time to really figure them out, but he had a feeling they would be instrumental in the future.

As they descended even deeper into the mine, he realized they had not been attacked by anything but beasts. Shouldn't these places have guards or something? Where was the-

BOOM!

The mine quaked as a massive force reverberated through its workings. Kashi quickened his pace, as the quakes became much more violent and frequent. From the occasional pauses, he knew this was no earthquake, but the effects of a fight happening nearby.

Kashi deferred to Kira, who guided them even deeper into the mine. They could not run, or they'd leave Hektor behind, who could not afford to go too fast.

As Kashi neared his destination, he began to hear a song. He could not make out the words, but something was wrong. The singer's voice had a lot of desperation in it. As his pace quickened, even more, the prompt came up:

Kashi froze, staring at the prompt in disbelief. Even as he stared, he realized he knew the owner of that voice. This was Lunette's song, but when did she become powerful enough to create a song with these stat bonuses?

She didn't. She couldn't. No amount of training could have raised her level and stats sufficiently to create this song in a few days. Then how was she singing this?

Forbidden... The word 'Forbidden.' In a video game, that could only mean one thing...

Kashi shared a thought with Kira then raced on ahead, sprinting as fast as he could. Her voice began to fade as he rounded a corner and saw an opening at the end. He dashed towards the opening just in time to see Lunette's apparitions begin to dissipate. Without hesitation, he jumped off the ledge, then scanned the room.

Kashi paid no heed to the monster bursting out from behind some rocks, nor to the Order who smugly watched over the battle. He searched and found her directly below him.

Lunette's tears suspended, then shattered against his face as she cried, "I don't want to die."

For the first time in his life, Kashi made a real promise. One he intended on keeping. "I won't let you."

But he was too late.

As he grabbed her hand, he felt it go limp.

She was gone.

Kashi's eyes widened in fright as his chest burned with an unfamiliar feeling. He dragged her close, took out one of his arrows, then stabbed it into the wall to break his fall. Because he was already so close to the ground, he couldn't shave off enough of the momentum. He smashed into the earth and lost more than half of his HP as a result.

Kashi paid no heed to that as a dull glow emitted from his right hand. He raised it high, then pounded against her chest. "Resuscitate!"

The skill sacrificed a thousand health points, but it was worth it.

Lunette gasped and coughed as she spluttered back to life.

Kashi's brief smile was cut short by the realization that life wasn't that simple.

The purple smoke appeared again and resumed choking her, even more violently this time. Kashi helplessly watched her HP drain. There was nothing he could do. He was powerless. She would die here, in front of him, and he would not be able to bring her back since [Resuscitation] could only be used once a day.

"No, no, no, no, no," Kashi muttered to himself, arms shaking as he tried to come up with something... anything! Then he realized. There was something he could do, but it was something Suzuki would never do...

Ask for help...

Restricted Sector,

Central Observation Hub.

Alarms blared as warning signs popped up on most systems.

Akari frowned as he barked out orders. Where was this coming from? There had been very few cases of Parallel reported, and even then, they had only been mild at best. "Force eject immediately!"

Next to him, Yukari paled as she read the prompts on her PDA. "He's manually overridden the process, sir! He's refusing to eject."

"What!?" Akari could not believe this was happening. There hadn't been a case of extreme Parallel in years. Taiga's sacrifice had ensured that. Hadn't it? "Which subject is it?"

The door slid open, and James walked in. "Mato Suzuki."

Yukari frowned as she checked her phone "He's right."

"That boy again," Akari said, eyes narrowed. "If I recall, he's the one you recommended. What's going on, James?"

Shouyou looked at the warning prompts on a screen, with an indiscernible expression. "Rebirth," he whispered.

"What?"

"Not important," Shouyou said. "These warning signs will soon go away."

Just as James said, the alarms died as abruptly as they had begun.

"Mato Suzuki's vitals are fine," Yukari said. "Whatever that was, it's passed."

Shouyou shook his head. "No, it hasn't. In fact, I would say it's just the beginning."

"You speak like this has happened before," Akari said in an accusatory tone.

"It has," Shouyou said wistfully. "Four years ago, the day I met Mato Suzuki and Y'Terlow Razznik for the first time."