The night was still burning.
At around 1 a.m., after completing his quest, Lucas sat quietly on the edge of a crumbled wall, the faint glow of the System window illuminating his tired face. The Safe Zone was silent now—eerily silent—except for the occasional crackle of distant fire and the soft moan of collapsing debris.
He opened his inventory and stared at the reward he had earned.
A glowing scroll hovered before him, shimmering faintly with golden runes.
[ Quest Completed: Defend the Safe Zone ]
[ Reward: 200 Coins | Random Common Skill Scroll Obtained ]
Lucas exhaled. "Let's see what I got."
As soon as he touched the scroll, it dissolved into blue light and flowed into his chest.
A cold sensation ran through his body—like static dancing along his veins.
Then, a System notification appeared before his eyes.
[ New Skill Acquired: Weapon Link (Lv.1) ]
[ Type: Passive ]
[ Mana Cost: 5 per use ]
[ Description: Establishes a faint link between the user and nearby weapons, allowing basic telekinetic control and recall of thrown or dropped weapons. Range: 10 meters. ]
Lucas blinked, surprise flickering across his face.
"Weapon Link... This could actually be really useful."
He looked around for something to test it on and spotted a small stone lying nearby. Stretching out his hand, he focused his mana, activating the skill.
A faint blue glow enveloped the stone. It trembled slightly—then lifted off the ground and floated into his palm.
Lucas grinned despite the exhaustion.
"This is handy… really handy. But the mana cost is rough. I'll need to raise my Mana stat on my next level-up."
He turned off the skill and got to his feet, scanning the ruins around him. Flames licked the remains of the Safe Zone. Black smoke coiled into the starless sky.
"If I'd been here when the monsters attacked…" Lucas murmured, clenching his fists. "I'd probably be dead."
A small, bitter laugh escaped him. "Guess I owe Alex one. If he hadn't pulled that stunt, I would've never left for the forest."
His words vanished into the wind.
Then—
Clack!
A sharp sound cut through the stillness. Metal scraping against something hard.
Lucas's instincts kicked in immediately. He crouched low, creeping toward the noise.
He peeked from behind a cracked wall—and froze.
A girl was fighting a spider the size of a car, its eight legs stabbing the ground like spears.
The creature's eyes gleamed a poisonous green, and its body pulsed with a faint acid glow.
[ Mutated Spider (F) ]
[ Ability: Acid Spray ]
[ Level: 10 ]
Lucas's throat tightened. "A level 10 monster? Even I couldn't take that down right now…"
The girl's movements were sharp but desperate. Her long black hair stuck to her sweat-drenched face, and her breathing was ragged. She must have been fighting for a while—there were at least six monster corpses scattered around her.
"Is she… part of a guild?" Lucas wondered aloud. "Maybe an E-rank Raider?"
Then the spider screeched and fired webs from its abdomen, trapping the girl mid-dodge.
She struggled, slashing with her short sword, but the sticky threads held fast.
Lucas bit his lip. "If I jump in now, I'll die too… but maybe I can distract it, grab her, and run—"
Before he could act, a flash of silver light cleaved the air.
Slash!
The spider's head was severed cleanly in a single motion.
Lucas blinked, stunned. The man who appeared moved faster than his eyes could follow. His sword shimmered faintly, and the monster's acid blood splattered harmlessly to the ground.
"...He's strong," Lucas muttered, awe creeping into his voice. "I couldn't even see the swing."
The man was tall, lean, and sharp-featured, with eyes that burned like tempered steel.
He sheathed his blade effortlessly and walked toward the trapped girl.
Lucas noticed the way he looked at her—familiar, protective.
"Lovers, maybe," Lucas thought.
The man cut the webbing with one clean swipe and helped her stand. Then, he knelt beside the spider's corpse and pressed his hand against its forehead.
A red crystal emerged from within the monster's skull, dissolving into his inventory.
Lucas's eyes widened. "Wait, the wolf I killed earlier didn't drop anything like that… Maybe if I go back, I can find one."
But his thoughts were interrupted when a knife whistled through the air—straight toward him.
Thwip!
The blade struck the wall beside his head, embedding deep into the concrete.
Lucas froze, his pulse spiking. He turned his head slowly.
The man was staring right at him.
Their eyes met.
"Crap," Lucas muttered. "He saw me."
Running wasn't an option. That man could catch him in seconds.
Lucas slowly raised his hands above his head and stepped out of cover.
The girl immediately drew her weapon again, while the man reached for another knife, watching him like a hawk.
"W-wait!" Lucas said quickly. "I'm not an enemy!"
The girl narrowed her eyes. "Are you a Raider?"
Lucas hesitated. "No… I'm not a Raider. But I am… an Awakened."
Her suspicion deepened. "Then how did you survive this long?"
"I wasn't here when the attack started," Lucas replied carefully. "I was in the forest."
"Why were you in the forest before the attack—"
The man cut her off sharply. "We don't have time for questions, Alice. We're leaving. Now."
Alice. So that's her name, Lucas thought.
The man turned to Lucas. "Can you fight?"
Lucas nodded. "I can handle small monsters."
The man gave a short nod. "Then come with us. The east side's still crawling with beasts. We're regrouping near the evac point."
Lucas blinked. "You're sure?"
Alice frowned. "You don't even have a weapon."
Lucas gave a faint, tired smile. "I don't need one."
Lucas followed them.