The train journey across the scorching deserts of Floor Two eventually came to an end.
As the locomotive slowed to a halt, the familiar sight of the Outer Rim Station came into view through the windows.
Unlike the bustling Inner Rim, the station here felt rougher.
Older.
Smaller.
Travelers carried heavier equipment, merchants sold survival gear instead of luxury items, and adventurers entering or leaving all possessed a different atmosphere.
Those who reached the Outer Rim were no longer tourists.
They were explorers.
Hunters.
Raiders.
People seeking fortune in one of the harshest regions of Floor Two.
The train doors slid open with a loud hiss.
Ryota stretched his arms overhead before stepping onto the platform.
"Whew..."
"It feels hotter out here."
Ramos adjusted the collar around his neck and immediately wiped sweat from his forehead.
"The desert never gets easier."
Fayzan laughed.
"I've only been here a handful of times..."
"...and I already miss Floor One."
Ryota smiled.
"I think everyone does."
The three slowly made their way toward the nearby docks.
Unlike the railways connecting the Inner and Outer Rim...
The final route toward Espana Village required transportation across an enormous sea of shifting sand.
Waiting at the docks were dozens of Sand Ships.
Massive vessels equipped with enchanted hulls that glided across the dunes as if sailing atop water.
Large crystal engines beneath their decks continuously emitted soft streams of magical wind.
Merchants loaded cargo.
Passengers boarded.
Crew members shouted departure times.
The atmosphere reminded Ryota of a harbor.
Only...
Instead of waves...
There was an endless ocean of golden sand.
"...Let's go."
Ryota purchased three tickets before the group boarded one of the larger vessels.
The Sand Ship slowly departed.
Its enchanted hull effortlessly surfed across the dunes.
Outside...
Golden waves stretched endlessly beneath the afternoon sun.
Occasionally giant skeletal remains emerged from the sand.
Old ruins.
Collapsed towers.
Half-buried statues.
Evidence that civilization had once existed long before Evermount's current era.
The journey lasted almost an hour.
Eventually...
Wooden buildings appeared on the horizon.
Surrounded by sandstone walls and countless palm trees...
Espana Village slowly came into view.
The Sand Ship docked.
Passengers began disembarking.
Ryota stepped onto the wooden pier and inhaled deeply.
"This is it."
Ramos smiled.
"Espana Village."
Fayzan looked around curiously.
"So..."
He turned toward Ryota.
"What's the plan?"
Ryota immediately opened the map Rio had sent him.
The parchment floated before them as magical markers illuminated the surrounding region.
He pointed toward the southern section.
"The hidden dungeon should be somewhere south of the village."
"Near the Sandy Oasis."
Fayzan nodded.
"Then let's start there."
The three left the docks.
The village itself looked peaceful.
Stone homes lined the streets.
Wooden market stalls displayed dried fruits, pottery, enchanted waterskins, and monster materials.
Children ran between buildings.
Merchants advertised today's prices.
Everything looked...
Normal.
At first.
Then Fayzan frowned.
"...Something feels off."
Ryota slowed.
"...Yeah."
The atmosphere wasn't lively.
It was...
Quiet.
Too quiet.
Several NPC villagers immediately lowered their heads the moment players walked past.
Some hurried indoors.
Others quickly shut their shop windows.
Parents instinctively pulled children behind them.
Nobody smiled.
Nobody greeted adventurers.
Fear lingered everywhere.
Ryota exchanged a glance with Fayzan.
"...Do you see it too?"
Fayzan nodded slowly.
"They're scared."
Ramos quietly sighed.
"...They are."
Ryota frowned.
"Scared of what?"
"...Players."
Ramos answered softly.
The words made both young men stop walking.
"...What?"
Ramos looked around the streets sadly.
"They're afraid of adventurers."
Ryota immediately shook his head.
"...That doesn't make sense."
"We're here to help them."
Ramos lowered his eyes.
"...Not everyone does."
Silence followed.
Ryota's expression gradually became more serious.
He slowly approached an elderly NPC carrying a basket of vegetables.
"Excuse me."
The old man looked up.
The moment he noticed Ryota's weapon...
His face turned pale.
Without saying a single word—
he immediately turned around.
Then hurried away.
"...W-Wait!"
Ryota instinctively reached out.
The old man began running.
Within seconds...
He disappeared into one of the nearby houses before locking the door behind him.
Click.
Silence.
Ryota slowly lowered his hand.
"..."
Fayzan scratched his head.
"...That was..."
"Weird."
Ramos quietly shook his head.
"No."
"...Normal."
Both young men looked toward him.
Ramos forced a bitter smile.
"It wasn't always like this."
"But..."
"...players changed."
Neither Ryota nor Fayzan spoke.
Because...
Deep down...
They already suspected what that meant.
The three continued walking.
Eventually...
They entered a nearby equipment shop.
A small bell rang above the doorway.
The interior was lined with swords, armor, survival gear, climbing ropes, lanterns, and enchanted waterskins.
But the first thing Ryota noticed...
Wasn't the merchandise.
It was the shouting.
"You call this quality?"
A player slammed a rusty sword onto the counter.
The elderly shopkeeper immediately bowed.
"I-I'm sorry..."
"I can replace it—"
Before he finished—
Another player grabbed him by the collar.
"You think we're idiots?"
The frightened NPC shook violently.
"P-Please..."
"I'll refund—"
The player shoved him backward.
The old man crashed into a shelf.
Potions fell onto the floor.
Glass shattered everywhere.
Several nearby NPC workers flinched.
None dared move.
None dared interfere.
Ryota's expression darkened.
"..."
Fayzan slowly clenched his fists.
"...Unbelievable."
One of the players laughed.
"These NPCs are so pathetic."
"They're not even real people."
Another kicked over a display rack.
"Make him apologize properly."
The elderly shopkeeper tried standing.
Only to receive another shove.
He hit the ground again.
"...Please..."
"We'll replace everything..."
Ryota took one slow step forward.
His eyes never left the players.
Fayzan noticed immediately.
"...Ryota."
Ryota didn't answer.
Instead—
He calmly rested his hand on the hilt of his sword.
A faint orange glow gathered around the blade.
Mana flowed.
Heat spread through the shop.
Fayzan quietly sighed.
"...Guess we're doing this."
Without another word—
He also reached for his weapon.
Flames slowly wrapped around the steel.
The temperature inside the shop noticeably rose.
The nearest player finally noticed.
"...Huh?"
Fayzan looked directly at them.
His voice was calm.
Almost too calm.
The flames surrounding his blade suddenly intensified.
[Sword Skill: Blazing Strike]
The shop instantly fell silent.
The instant Fayzan's blade ignited—
the atmosphere inside the equipment shop changed completely.
The blazing aura surrounding his sword washed over the room like a sudden heatwave, causing the frightened NPC workers to instinctively step farther behind the counter.
The players harassing the elderly shopkeeper finally realized something was wrong.
One of them turned around with an irritated expression.
"...What?"
Before he could say another word—
Fayzan moved.
His feet exploded off the wooden floor with incredible speed.
The distance between them vanished in a single heartbeat.
[Sword Skill: Blazing Strike]
Flames erupted along his blade.
Rather than aiming to kill, Fayzan deliberately struck with the flat of his sword.
BOOM!
The impact sounded like a cannon blast inside the cramped shop.
The player was launched several meters backward, crashing through a weapon display before rolling helplessly across the floor.
His health bar plummeted.
Before he could even understand what had happened—
his vision faded.
He collapsed unconscious.
Silence.
For exactly one second.
"...YOU BASTARD!"
The remaining players reacted immediately.
Steel flashed as several swords were drawn simultaneously.
Mana surged through the room.
The frightened NPC shopkeeper cried out.
"P-Please stop!"
"No fighting!"
Nobody listened.
Two players rushed Fayzan from opposite directions.
The first swung horizontally toward his ribs.
The second thrust directly for his shoulder.
Fayzan didn't panic.
His body moved with the confidence of someone who had survived countless battles.
He shifted one step.
The horizontal slash missed.
He leaned backward.
The thrust pierced empty air.
Without stopping—
he pivoted between both attackers.
His sword swept around in a burning arc.
THUD!
The hilt smashed directly into one player's stomach.
The man doubled over, gasping for air.
Before he recovered—
Fayzan spun again.
The pommel of his sword crashed into the second player's jaw.
The crack echoed throughout the building.
Blood sprayed across the wooden floor.
The player collapsed unconscious beside the weapon racks.
"...Monster..."
One remaining player stumbled backward.
Then gritted his teeth.
Purple mana erupted around his blade.
"You think you're special?!"
The air trembled.
A sinister aura wrapped around the sword.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[Sword Skill: Ruthless Slash]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
The player swung with everything he had.
A crescent-shaped wave of violet energy burst forward.
It sliced through the air with terrifying speed.
The magical slash raced directly toward Fayzan.
The surrounding shelves shook from the pressure alone.
Yet Fayzan's expression never changed.
He calmly shifted one step sideways.
The purple blade of energy narrowly passed his shoulder.
It missed him entirely.
"...What?"
The player barely had time to react.
The attack continued traveling.
Straight toward the rear of the shop.
The elderly shopkeeper looked up.
His eyes widened.
"...N-No—!"
CRAAAAASH!
The magical slash tore through three entire shelving units.
Wood exploded into splinters.
Potion bottles shattered.
Armor crashed onto the floor.
Dust filled the building.
The NPC workers screamed in terror.
The elderly shopkeeper instinctively threw himself behind the cash register while two assistants hid beside him.
"My shop!"
"My inventory!"
Years of carefully organized merchandise now lay scattered across the floor.
The player who launched the attack stared in horror.
"...I..."
He had completely forgotten where he was.
This wasn't a battlefield.
It was someone's livelihood.
Before he could process the consequences—
a shadow appeared beside him.
Ryota.
"...Huh?"
The player barely turned his head.
Ryota grabbed him by the front of his armor.
"...You picked the wrong place."
Before the player could struggle—
Ryota twisted his hips and threw him with frightening force.
BOOOOOOM!
The man shot through the shop window like a cannonball.
Glass exploded outward.
He flew into the middle of the village street before bouncing across the stone pavement.
Players walking outside immediately stopped.
"What was that?!"
"Did someone just get thrown out a window?!"
Inside the shop—
another attacker rushed Ryota with a roar.
Ryota calmly stepped forward.
He didn't draw his weapon.
Instead—
he clenched his right fist.
The player swung downward.
Ryota ignored the sword entirely.
His fist shot forward.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[Unique Skill: Scalular Impact]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Power flooded through his arm.
The force behind the punch multiplied several times over.
BAAAAAAM!
His fist struck directly against the player's chest armor.
The impact created a visible shockwave.
The player's feet left the ground instantly.
He flew backward across the shop.
CRAAAAASH!
His body smashed into the stone wall.
Cracks spread across the masonry.
The player slid downward before collapsing unconscious.
The remaining attacker froze.
"...T-They're monsters..."
Still...
Fear turned into desperation.
He screamed and charged Ryota.
His sword danced wildly through the air.
Left.
Right.
Diagonal.
Overhead.
A flurry of frantic strikes.
Ryota calmly watched every movement.
He slipped beneath one slash.
Turned away from another.
Stepped outside the range of the third.
The player's breathing became increasingly erratic.
His attacks lost rhythm.
Lost precision.
Lost composure.
"...Stand still!"
Ryota sighed.
"...You're telegraphing every swing."
The player roared and committed to one final overhead strike.
Ryota stepped inside the attack.
His left hand reached upward.
Instead of avoiding the blade—
he caught it.
The sharpened steel dug into his palm—
or at least...
It should have.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[Unique Skill: Scalular Impact]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
The force behind the descending sword disappeared.
The momentum simply...
Stopped.
The player stared.
"...Impossible..."
Ryota's fingers tightened around the blade.
Metal groaned.
Then—
CRACK.
The sword snapped cleanly in half.
The broken pieces clattered harmlessly onto the floor.
The player looked down at the ruined weapon in utter disbelief.
"M-My sword..."
Ryota looked him directly in the eyes.
"...Weapons are meant to protect."
"Not terrorize innocent people."
Before the player recovered—
Ryota's boot drove forward.
THUD!
The kick struck the man's stomach.
Air exploded from his lungs.
His body folded before he crashed backward into a display rack.
The wooden shelves collapsed over him.
Silence returned to the shop.
Only the sound of falling debris remained.
Broken glass rolled slowly across the floor.
The smell of burned wood from Fayzan's flames mixed with dust.
Ryota slowly exhaled.
Fayzan lowered his sword.
The fire surrounding the blade gradually disappeared.
Around them—
every player who had been terrorizing the shop now lay unconscious.
Neither Ryota nor Fayzan smiled.
Instead—
both quietly turned toward the trembling elderly shopkeeper hidden behind the cash register.
The old man's hands shook violently as he slowly peeked over the counter.
His eyes moved between the unconscious players...
The destroyed shelves...
And finally...
The two young adventurers who had just defended his shop.
Neither side spoke.
For a long moment...
The only sound inside the ruined store...
Was the slow creaking of broken wooden shelves settling into place.