*Date: 33,480 Second Quarter - Iron Confederacy Border, Human Settlement*
Demir was walking through narrow town roads with Asena padding beside him. Everyone stopped to stare with wide eyes. Whispers spread like wildfire through the settlement. Children pointed. Adults grabbed weapons instinctively before recognizing Demir.
Selene rushed over, her mage robes swirling around her. "I am glad you are alive. They said you left the expedition." Then her eyes locked on Asena, widening with shock. "What's with the wolf?" she asked, voice pitched high with disbelief.
"Thanks, Selene. She is Asena. I freed her from the Goblin Chief and apparently started a taming storyline." Demir said it casually, as if giant spirit wolves followed people home all the time.
Marco and Sin joined moments later, pushing through the small crowd that had gathered. Asena was getting grumpy, the attention clearly bothering her. She howled, sharp and irritated, turning left and right as more people approached. Finally, she'd had enough. With a powerful leap, she bounded over the town walls and disappeared into the forest darkness.
"Why was that thing here?" Marco asked, adjusting his glasses nervously.
"Long story. I'll tell it later," Demir replied.
"Okay. Welcome back to Safe Hollow. Selene out a name to the town." Marco gestured around at the settlement. "That shield looks sick, by the way. Right, Sin?"
Sin nodded, studying the wyvern-scaled surface. "Yeah, you really got better at this smithing thing."
Timmy was walking with a huntress, both carrying herb sacks. They were apparently returning from foraging and gathering materials. When he saw Demir, he gave all his stuff to his companions and ran toward his old group, face breaking into a huge grin.
"Oh, thank god you are alive and in one piece! Sin kept saying a giant wolf was following you."
"Yeah, she was. She was here moments ago."
"Did you tame her?" Timmy's eyes were wide with curiosity.
"No. I'm not sure it can be done. She is so powerful. One day I saw wyvern wings stuck in her mouth. I traded the wing for fresh meat. Later, me and Brovick added the scales to my shield." Demir transformed into an excited teenager when talking with his peers. He suddenly forgot he was stuck in a death game and started enjoying the conversation, the camaraderie he'd missed.
"Looks good, but does it do anything?" Sin asked, ever practical.
"Come on, let's get to our hut. We made a good house with the knowledge of buff stacking. Come, let's eat and get some rest first," Marco suggested.
"Good idea."
They headed to the new hut area built for newcomers from the mines. Marco and other survivors of slavery had built four huts for themselves. The structures were simple but sturdy, proof that even without proper tools, determination could build shelter.
While they ate what they'd gathered from the woods around and grilled chicken over the fire, they laughed. Demir told them about the journey. The rivalry with the giant wolf Asena. How she kept showing off with bigger and bigger kills.
He told them about crafting new gear. And most importantly, meeting with a high leveler and getting news of his old friend.
Demir pulled out the satchel of items Lex gave him and laid everything out on the ground. The firelight gleamed off metal and stone.
"Thanks, man. Without these, I wouldn't know if I progressed or not. You want to take a look at the goodies?" Demir offered the glasses back to Marco.
"They're yours now. Keep them." Marco pushed Demir's hand back gently.
Demir nodded with respect. "Thank you, man."
He wore the glasses and started assessing the amazing knife set Lex gave. Each blade had unique properties, different weights and balances.
"None of us have an assassin build, but he did, so he had so many excess knives. Pick what you like. But I think there was one he said requires a mage profession."
**Name: Dagger of the Fall**
[Dagger A grade]
[Durability 380 / 500] repairable
Rune of Swiftness: +10% Agility
+110% to physical damage (Tier 5)
**Skill:** "Return" - User can call it back to hand. Requires Magus title.
"This is the one, Marco. It is A grade but doesn't have stat bonuses like mine."
"Player crafted ones are really superior to old game loot items. I didn't know that," Marco mused.
"Out of all people, you should have known that, old man," Sin teased.
Demir cut in. "This has a return skill. If you have the Magus title, you can call it back to you."
"Like Mjolnir?" Marco's eyes lit up with recognition.
"I guess. But you need to get titles by practicing and passing your current level, I think."
"I will try. Thanks, Demir."
Demir looked at all the other knives. Others were B grade and didn't have any magical skills. They all had classic dagger abilities like backstab or silent lunge. He distributed them among the group, making sure everyone got something useful.
"Don't worry, guys. I learned so much. I think I can make better armor now. I will start making gear for you first," he said to Sin and Timmy, who were still wearing Demir's first experiments.
Then he turned back to the bracers and the agility stone, examining them carefully.
**[Agility Bracers B grade]**
[Durability 220/500] repairable
+20 to Agility (Tier 5)
+5 to Stamina (Tier 8)
**[Stone of Swiftness] [B Grade]**
[+20 Agility (Tier 5)] : null before attachment. Attachable: Weapons or Armor
"Woow," Demir breathed.
"What is it?" Marco leaned over.
"I will get plus forty agility with these. I will be fast as a hound."
"If these are throwaway items for him, how fast is the guy who gave them to you?" Timmy wondered aloud.
"If he is ninety-eight like he said, they were like walking gods. Clashing with dragons. It was a whole different game at that level." Marco's voice carried the weight of experience. "As a tester, I tried high levels. But their minds work differently. There are thousands of skills, spells, items to combine. You can't just fight them with what's written on your character sheet. You have to absorbe every inch of your build."
"Okay, let's leave Demir alone and let him sleep now. I am sure he is tired," Selene said, herding everyone toward the door.
After they left, Demir remembered the pommel Lex gave. He unsheathed his sword and looked at what changed, the glasses revealing updated information.
**Name: Wolf's Vow (Orichalcum sword)**
[Sword B grade]
[Durability 580/600] repairable
Power rune attached: +10% Force (Tier 5)
Power stone attached : +10 to Force
+220% to physical damage (Tier 4)
+16 to Force (Tier 6)
+6 to Stamina (Tier 8)
**Skill 1:** "Thunder Edge" - Charged attacks release stored energy in an arc, dealing 150% of total attack damage to enemies in a cone. Effect: Each successful charged hit increases Force by +1 (stacks up to +10 until combat ends).
**Skill 2:** "Pommel Strike" - Critical hits with pommel to opponents knock out the opponent.
"Durability increased and pommel strike added. Oh, another Force and Stamina stat boost. Yes!" Demir grinned in the darkness of his hut, exhaustion finally catching up with him. He lay back on his bedroll, sword carefully placed beside him, and for the first time in weeks, felt truly safe.