Gara smiled faintly. "The first time I ever used this technique… it felt just as insane to me. Walking in a different body… but that's just how it felt in my head. As far as the body itself goes, it's like I never switched at all. Literally the same."
Locarius kept staring him up and down, still shocked that this body had originated from a single root.
Finally, he couldn't contain his curiosity. "H-how… how did you gain such an ability?"
Gara chuckled softly. "I first got Wood Techniques inside the [Southern Forests] Fragment—an F Ranked Fragment. But that's not where I got the Escape Technique. That one… I made it myself. Well… someone taught me the basics, but the rest? That was all by my own hands."
Locarius leaned forward, eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Who… who taught you?"
Gara grinned. "Someone named Sumesh. B Ranker. He Works with me at the same workshop."
Locarius' four hands waved excitedly. "Wait, a workshop? What kind of workshop? Tell me everything!"
Gara nodded, falling into the role naturally. "It's called the Story Guides Workshop. I work there as a Story Guide. My boss… Dante. He's a somewhat famous A Ranker in the Story World, called [Hiro Hunter]."
Locarius' eyes widened, absorbing every word. "So he's strong… and famous? Incredible!"
Questions kept coming, one after another, and Gara answered as many as he could, explaining details about his work, the purpose of the Workshop, and what being a Story Guide entailed.
Leif stayed in the background, silent as ever, listening but not interjecting.
Gara carried the conversation, almost like a teacher imparting knowledge to the eager student standing before him—Locarius, Crown Prince of the Rashanz Empire.
Though Locarius was technically a D Ranker in terms of power, in terms of knowledge… he was barely more informed than someone who had never set foot in the Story World.
His grandfather had kept most things secret, wanting the young prince to experience it all for himself when he finally left the Fragment and ventured into the wider Story World.
Locarius hung on every word from Gara, nodding eagerly, eyes wide, and asking question after question.
Gara smiled, patiently answering each one, letting the Crown Prince absorb as much as he could, almost like a teacher guiding the first steps of an especially eager student.
Usually, Gara wouldn't reveal information to anyone—not even general knowledge—because information equaled profit.
But this time was different.
The Rashanz Messenger had healed both him and Leif.
Gara wanted to repay the favor, even if just a little, by giving free information to their Crown Prince.
Even if saving him from certain death and sharing knowledge weren't exactly equal… it felt like the right thing to do.
Time passed in the blink of an eye.
Half an hour had gone by since Locarius had stormed into their room.
Leif had returned to watching something on his black Story System Interface, silent and unbothered, while Gara and Locarius continued their discussion.
They spoke of the Story World and its countless mysteries—of the Hiro Species, the Five Zones, the Sea of Fragments, the Edge of the Story, the All Seeing Eye itself, and even Z Rankers.
Did Ranks above Z exist?
Gara even shared tales of his own hero, the supposed strongest in the Story World, a figure forgotten and unknown by anyone: the [First One Out].
Locarius listened intently, eyes wide and sparkling with excitement. When Gara finished, the Crown Prince could barely contain himself.
"I can't wait to do it!" he exclaimed, stars practically shining in his eyes. "To take my first step into the Story World!"
Gara chuckled, shaking his head. "When's that going to be?"
By now, Gara was getting surprisingly comfortable talking to Locarius, almost forgetting just how important the young Rashanz in front of him was—the Crown Prince, grandchild of an X Ranker.
"I'm not too sure yet," Locarius said, excitement still clear in his tone.
"Probably soon… My grandpa said I'd have to start at F Rank once I enter the Story World. I want to create my own Original Story, just like you and Leif. I don't want to Borrow or get Sponsored by someone else."
He paused, eyes shining. "I'm still figuring out what it'll be. Once I do… that's when my journey begins."
Gara nodded, impressed. "An Original Story, huh? That's rare these days. Not unheard of, of course… but still rare. Most people Borrow a Story, wander the Sea of Fragments for a while, and only then attempt to create their Original Story. Few step into the Story World and start with their own right from the get-go."
Locarius' grin widened. "Exactly. I want to do it from the start."
Gara thought for a moment, then reached out his hand.
Locarius' face lit up with a wide smile, and he reached out too.
Their hands met in a firm shake.
Leif, watching from the back, raised an eyebrow—slightly surprised to see Gara befriending a non-human—but didn't comment, returning instead to his black Story System Interface.
Gara chuckled softly. "I believe in you, Locarius. I'm looking forward to meeting you again in the Story World. Maybe… we could even challenge a Fragment together sometime."
Locarius practically leapt in excitement. "I'd be glad to do just that!"
Then, his expression suddenly shifted.
He took a deep breath, and his tone grew serious. "There's a favor I want to ask of you two."
Gara tilted his head, slightly confused. "A favor? What is it?"
Leif paused his own activity, turning his attention fully to the Crown Prince.
"I want to… spar with you two. If possible… right now."
Gara stared at him in silence for a few seconds before finally letting out a sharp scream.
"WHAT?!"
Locarius jumped, hands raised defensively. "Wait! Wait! It's not like that! Since I'm going to step into the Story World, I want to see just how strong E Rankers are! I'll have to start at the bottom in F Rank, after all."
Gara blinked, then nodded slowly. "Yeah… I understand."
Leif, still calm, spoke from the back. "I don't mind sparring. I want to test myself against a D Ranker."
At the mention of D Rank, Gara shrudded slightly, remembering their earlier fight against the Cover Club Member—a D Ranked Player with the Original Story [Black Cover]—who had nearly killed both of them.
He briefly filled Locarius in on the battle, watching the young Rashanz go wide-eyed.
"Wow… I didn't know you two suffered so much just before coming to the palace…"
Locarius' excitement shifted to concern. "I… I shouldn't have intruded when you'd just woken up from something so life-threatening. I should've let you rest."
Gara patted his shoulder gently, smiling. "Don't worry about it. If anything, talking to you helped me calm down a bit."
Leif gave a small nod. "Hearing you talk about the Story World… it actually makes me feel better. And now, with sparring on the table… I'm even a little excited. Earlier, against [Black Cover], I couldn't use my Inherited Story, [Lightning Dance]. I was stuck with just [Masked Threat]."
Locarius grinned widely. "Don't worry! You can throw everything you've got at me. I won't fight back seriously… wouldn't want to injure you."
Gara felt a flicker of insult rise in him, but said nothing.
Deep down, he knew Locarius was right—after all, the Crown Prince was as strong as a D Ranker in the Story World, and they were only E Rankers.
There was one problem with Gara, though.
He hadn't wanted to bring it up earlier, since they had just woken up from a life-threatening fight against the Cover Club Members. But now that sparring was on the table, he couldn't avoid it any longer.
He didn't want Locarius to hear, so he needed a moment alone with Leif.
Gara hesitated for a moment, then spoke quietly. "Hey, Locarius… can you give us a little space? There's something I need to discuss with Leif in private first."
Locarius didn't even flinch. "Of course! I'll be outside. Just come out when you're done."
Gara exhaled, relief flickering across his face. "Thanks… I appreciate it."
Locarius grinned, his excitement never dimming. "No problem at all!"
With that, he left the room, leaving Gara and Leif alone.
The blonde-haired young man turned to Gara, noticing the unusual seriousness in the red-haired Story Guide.
"What's wrong?" he asked calmly.
Gara looked down, avoiding Leif's gaze. "Do you remember earlier… when you asked if I was fine? And I said I was?"
Leif nodded slowly, his brow furrowing. "Yeah…?"
Gara hesitated, then admitted quietly, "Technically… I'm fine physically. Mentally too. But my Story… not so much. [Root of All Things]… it's cracked."
Leif's eyes widened, the first flicker of genuine emotion crossing his usually composed face.
His voice was barely above a whisper. "How…? Why?"
Gara ran a hand through his red hair, looking down. "When [Black Cover] was about to kill you… I was already drained. But I couldn't just let you die."
He paused, taking a shaky breath. "So I overexerted myself… I drank an Energy Potion I shouldn't have."
Leif stayed silent, eyes wide.
Gara's voice grew quieter, heavier. "I did save you… but the backlash… my Story cracked."
Leif's expression didn't change outwardly, but inside, he felt it all.
A cracked Story wasn't just a setback—it meant Gara couldn't Rank up with [Root of All Things], couldn't fully wield the Geru Sword, and if he pushed it again… the Story would shatter completely.
If that happened, he'd be left Storyless, forced to Borrow immediately—or face the Editors.
And all of this… all of this happened because Gara had risked everything… for him.
Leif swallowed hard, unable to speak, his guilt pressing in like a weight on his chest.
He felt a tight knot form in his chest.
He knew he shouldn't feel guilty—this wasn't his fault, nor Gara's. The blame lay squarely on [Black Cover], the one who had forced them into such a perilous situation.
And yet… Gara had gone overboard for his sake.
For him, he had sacrificed his own progress, pushing himself to the edge to make sure Leif survived.
The weight of that selfless act pressed down on Leif like a stone, and he couldn't shake it.
Gara spoke again, gently but firmly. "It's not your fault. And don't blame yourself."
Even though Leif hadn't said a single word about guilt, it was obvious from his expression. He didn't look at Gara, didn't move, didn't breathe too loudly—as if any reaction might make the situation worse.
But he still couldn't speak.
He simply didn't know what to say.
Leif had looked up Cracked Stories before.
He remembered spending hours trying to understand what happened to Players when their Stories broke.
But he had found nothing.
The only thing the Blue Trade Records had shown him was the same vague line repeated in multiple threads: "Like anything else, there is a way to deal with it, but details are restricted."
No explanation. No steps. No guidance.
Some Records theorized that such knowledge was buried deep in the Blue Trade Records—far beyond public clearance.
After all, not everything was available for anyone to casually search through.
Some information could only be purchased directly from a physical branch of the Blue Trade Organization… an Information Market.
And those places never sold anything cheap.
Or perhaps the information was accessible only through a certain membership.
Leif could afford things—he had a lot of money, sure—but if it were just about Cores, he would've already been sitting comfortably at some high tier in the membership system.
His fortune alone would've guaranteed that.
But no.
Cores were only one part of it.
The Blue Trade Organization ranked members through multiple criteria: strength, influence, and personal connections.
And Leif had none of those.
His clan was gone, leaving him with zero influence.
He had only just stepped into E Rank, so strength wasn't on his side either.
And as for connections to anyone within the Blue Trade Organization… he didn't know a single member.
In other words, all the doors that mattered were closed to him.
And Gara was the same too—only he didn't even have the fortune to try covering the cost.
So he didn't know what to say.
Even though he knew this wasn't truly the end… in their situation, it kind of was.
Gara still smiled through it, which only made Leif feel even worse.
It wasn't like Leif cared that deeply about him—not in any dramatic way.
He'd only known Gara for a few days, close to a week.
Sure, he'd heard a lot about him, watched all his available Playthroughs of Fragments, felt that strange sense of connection grow because of it.
But Gara was still just a friend.
A new one.
The thing that really hurt wasn't the friendship.
It was the sacrifice.
Leif hated that word.
His entire clan was gone because of sacrifice—his father giving his life so Leif could survive, then his brother, then other family members… one after another.
And, in a twisted way, the same was true for Gara.
Different Fragment, same story.
Gara's whole family had died for his sake too.
And now, Leif had made Gara sacrifice his progress for him.
Gara sighed lightly and reached out his hand.
He hesitated for a moment, then patted Leif's shoulder.
"It's okay," he said softly. "I'll ask Dante about it later. I'm sure my grumpy boss knows something. He is a famous A Ranker in the Story World—[Hiro Hunter] and all."
Leif thought about it, then nodded without speaking.
It was true—Dante was strong, well-connected, and when it came to Cores, Leif would pay for it even if it meant burning his entire fortune overnight.
So there was a way out.
Probably.
But… what if Dante wasn't strong enough to acquire that kind of knowledge?
What if even he didn't have access to it?
Well… there were two others who might.
Leif took a very deep breath.
For a moment he just stood there, eyes lowered, gathering the courage to speak.
Then finally:
"Other than Dante," he said quietly, "there's also the old SS Ranker who saved us. [White Space]."
Gara blinked but didn't interrupt.
"He might know something," Leif continued. "He's stronger, more famous, and more connected than Dante. And… he saved us from certain death. Twice, in your case."
Leif's voice lowered a little. "He most likely already knows your Story is cracked. And even if he doesn't… we can tell him."
Gara opened his mouth to respond, but Leif immediately lifted a hand, signaling him to wait.
"And," he went on, "there's one last person who might help. Though…"
His jaw tightened. "It's a very weak shot. And if we say something wrong, we might offend him."
Gara straightened slightly, feeling the tension in Leif's tone.
"That being…"
Leif exhaled slowly.
"The [Rashanz Emperor] himself. Locarius' grandfather. The ruler of this Fragment."
A pause.
"And an X Ranker. One Rank below the peak the Story World has to offer."
Leif didn't say anything else.
He simply waited, watching Gara carefully for his reaction.
The red-haired young man finally spoke, rubbing the back of his neck. "Honestly… I feel like it's too much to ask from [White Space]. The old man saved my life twice already. Asking him for help a third time…"
He exhaled. "Even if he would help, I have no idea how I'd ever repay that debt."
Leif shook his head. "Don't worry about that. I can offer a payment that'll satisfy him."
Gara stared at him, eyes wide. "You're serious? Leif, you're an E Ranker. [White Space] is an SS Ranker. The difference between our Stories and his—just one Core from an A Ranker like Dante is worth a hundred thousand of ours."
He paused, a little overwhelmed. "An SS Ranker? I don't even know how much one of his Cores would be worth."
Leif hesitated for a moment, and Gara noticed it—rare for the usually composed blonde.
Then he spoke. "The next thing I'm going to say… is a big secret of mine."
His voice was steady, but quieter than before. "But since I plan to journey with you in the future—as a friend, and a trusted partner—I'll tell you. And I'll trust you with it."
Gara's expression shifted instantly, his usual lightness gone. "Alright. I'll do my best to live up to that trust."
Leif nodded once, then continued.
"My father was the leader of our clan… And [Lightning Dance], the Story he left me, was originally an SSS Ranked Story."
He took a breath. "He also left me a fortune of SSS Ranked Cores. Not just him—many in my clan left me their Cores before they died. Some SSS Rank, some SS Rank, others of all sorts."
He looked away for a moment, as if almost embarrassed by it.
"Basically… if I wanted to, I could afford to hire SSS Rankers as guards."
Gara's jaw dropped so hard he almost fell backward.
He didn't say a word—just stared at the blonde-haired young man in pure, unfiltered shock.
Sure, he knew Leif was rich.
Leif had mentioned having a lot of Cores from his clan, and from the mysterious being who had chosen him as its Champion.
And yes, Gara had watched Leif toss around Cores like they were worthless pebbles…
But those were Green Cores.
Cores produced by an F Ranked Story.
This—what Leif just revealed—was a completely different universe.
He never imagined Leif was… this rich.
It was so absurd, so outside anything Gara had ever heard of, that his brain practically froze trying to process it.
And then a question suddenly surfaced—one that made no sense not to ask.
"Wait—if you're that rich," Gara said, still staring at him like he was a creature from another Fragment, "why didn't you just hire someone to escort you through the [Rashanz] Fragment?"
It wasn't like there were no options.
Sure, trusting someone not to betray him for that mountain of fortune was difficult—Leif couldn't defend himself against someone strong enough to covet those Cores.
But there were trusted organizations.
Groups that offered escorting and guard services with ironclad contracts.
It absolutely wasn't impossible.
So why didn't he?
Leif answered quietly, saying that other than trust being a massive issue, there was something else—something even more important.
The mysterious man who had chosen him as his Champion.
Leif had asked him once—whether he should hire guards, whether he could use his wealth to make the journey safer, easier.
And the man had simply shaken his head, telling him not to do it.
To continue his adventure exactly as he was.
Gara didn't reply.
He genuinely didn't understand the logic behind that.
Why wouldn't more power at their side be a good thing? Why not secure the journey? Why avoid help when help could turn deadly obstacles into background noise?
If they'd had even one SSS Ranker with them earlier during the Golden Lightning event…
Then the Cover Club Members wouldn't have stopped them.
[Blue Waves], the SS Ranker accompanying them, wouldn't have stood in their way.
Nothing would have diverted them.
It made no sense.
"Hmmm…" Gara exhaled and shook his head after a moment.
No point overthinking something he wasn't strong enough to understand yet.
He was still too weak to grasp the reasoning of people on that level.
Instead, Gara turned back to the pressing issue—his cracked Story.
"I… I don't really want to rely on the old SS Ranker," he said quietly, almost to himself, though Leif was listening.
"I mean, [White Space] has helped me more than I can count already… but I do want to fix my Story. And… an SS Ranker, that means he might actually know something about Cracked Stories."
He paused, biting his lip as he considered it.
"Sure… asking the [Rashanz Emperor] himself, an X Ranker, would probably give a better result… but…" Gara's voice trailed off, the thought making him grimace.
He shook his head slightly. "I'm an E Ranker. Asking an SS Ranker is already… uncomfortable. Asking an X Ranker? That's… way beyond what I can even imagine right now."
That was insanity, was what Gara thought but didn't say.
A being on that level would view someone like him as nothing more than a speck of dust, barely worth a glance.
Yet… hadn't that same X Ranker he was thinking of invited both him and Leif into his palace?
Maybe he was wrong about him.
He knew some high-ranking beings could be surprisingly normal—like someone even stronger at Z Rank, the Hero's People, [Last Note of Black], known for not flaunting power and talking to even F Rankers with Borrowed Stories as if they were long-lost friends.
Leif agreed—asking an X Ranker was definitely not a wise idea.
It was far safer to wait and ask [White Space] when the chance came, though even that might be risky.
Still, considering [White Space] had said he was there to protect them—and had actually followed through by saving their lives—they figured it wasn't such a terrible plan.
Power in the Story World was strange.
Most of those above you would see you like an ant, something they could crush for no reason other than boredom.
Even asking a simple question to someone far above you could be fatal.
Of course, not everyone operated that way; if you belonged to a respected organization, the powerful might hesitate and think twice before harming you.
...
Gara pushed the door open, and Leif followed silently behind him.
The hallway stretched wide and long, the white floor tiles and walls glowing under the soft light of gold chandeliers scattered along the ceiling.
Doors lined the walls, leading to unknown rooms.
At the far end, waiting patiently, was Locarius.
The Crown Prince's black skin, short messy white hair, crimson eyes, and four arms made him impossible to miss.
He straightened slightly as he saw them approach, a bright smile on his face.
"Finally!" Locarius exclaimed, almost bouncing in excitement. "You two took your sweet time!"
Gara rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled. "Yeah… sorry for keeping you waiting. We had something important to discuss, that's all."
Locarius waved a hand dismissively, smiling. "No need to apologize, I'm just teasing. But more importantly—should we get to the spar? I'm way too excited not to fight!"
Leif simply nodded. "Sure."
Gara's expression turned a bit serious. "I won't be able to fight at full strength. I'd appreciate it if you don't ask why."
The Crown Prince nodded eagerly. "Sure, no worries at all, I understand."
Even though his grin remained, his eyes betrayed a hint of disappointment—he had been looking forward to seeing them go all out—but he respected Gara's choice.
That respect didn't go unnoticed, leaving a positive impression on both Gara and Leif.
With that, they followed after Locarius as he spun around in excitement. "I usually spar with a few nobles or guards in my free time," he said, grinning.
"But they always hold back since I'm the prince and all. You, though… I want you to go all out!"
Leif nodded. "I will. I want to test my new strength at E Rank, after all."
Locarius' eyes lit up even more at that.
Gara, however, hesitated. "Is… this okay? I mean, your grandfather summoned us into the palace. Doesn't he need us or something? And… where's Mister [White Space]?"
Locarius waved a hand. "Oh, the old SS Ranker is talking with my grandfather right now. I'll have one of the servants inform him that I'm sparring with you two first, and then I'll lead you to my grandpa afterward."
Gara froze for a moment, feeling a spike of tension.
After the spar… I'll meet an X Ranker…
He couldn't believe it, couldn't even begin to understand it, so he just shook his head and followed the Crown Prince along with Leif.
—End of Chapter.
-------
X Rankers huh?
Gara: We're going to meet with an X Ranker, can you believe it?
Leif: Yes.
Gara: Tsk, you never react in the way I want, but anyways, don't you think its too soon, with X Rank being one Rank below the peak and all? I mean the story just started and look at us talking to SS Rankers and meeting X Rankers left and right.
Leif: First of all, we're not meeting them left and right, and second of all... Does it matter when we meet them?
Gara: I guess not? Anyways, X Rankers huh... What do you think makes them special? D Rankers have Aspects, S Rankers Domains... What about X Rankers? And then... What about Z Rankers?
Leif: I'll answer when I become one.
Gara: True, I should've expected such an answer.