Sword Art Online: Moonlight Swordman.

Ren's steps felt heavier with each movement. It was just him, holding the glowing crystal and walking ahead.

Occasionally, Ren's eyes would glance at Scholar, as if seeking help. But all he received in return was an indifferent look.

Ren tried looking at the others. Eylis and Copper seemed too absorbed in observing their surroundings to notice him.

Tarek caught Ren's pitiful gaze, but all he did was sneer.

Why do I have to endure this? A sense of frustration flared within Ren, causing his face to grow slightly damp.

The faint echoing sounds in the dungeon created an unsettling feeling. The dark shadows outside the reach of the light seemed like eyes watching them.

The dungeon's structure was complicated and intricate. The group moved through a system of narrow paths, surrounded by walls sealed with ancient stone.

The sound of dripping water added to the vague, eerie atmosphere. A cold breeze brushed against Ren's legs, causing him to shiver.

He wanted to stop, but Ren's instincts wouldn't allow it. He continued stepping forward, taking small steps toward the path ahead.

Questions began to form in Ren's mind. If Scholar knew everything, why had he allowed Ren to hold the crystal and lead the way?

Wouldn't it be safer and faster if he led instead?

Clink

The soft noise suddenly snapped Ren out of his thoughts. It felt as if everything around him was rising.

No.

It was him sinking. A large, black square hole had appeared beneath Ren's feet.

He felt his legs give way.

No ground.

No support.

The cold air brushed against his spine. A vast darkness seemed to be opening its mouth, waiting for him.

Am I... falling?

The thought barely flashed through his mind when Ren's body swayed. It felt like someone had pulled the ground from under his feet.

He wanted to scream, but his throat tightened.

His breath froze.

His heart felt like it was being squeezed.

His arms flailed out of instinct, desperately trying to grab onto something. But all his fingers touched was air.

The darkness closed in around him.

The hole wasn't wide, but it was large enough for an adult to fall through.

In just a few moments, Ren felt his heart stop. Blood seemed to stagnate in his body, and cold sweat dripped from his chin.

He quickly reached out with his hand, his mind blank, heart pounding in his ears.

Ren was falling.

So this is it.

A sudden wave of fear overwhelmed him.

Ren still held tightly onto the glowing crystal. But its light seemed to dim as he fell.

"Ren."

A shout suddenly made Ren jolt. The fog in his mind began to clear.

He hadn't fallen yet—he was teetering on the edge of the hole.

The cold hand gripping his arm felt warm. Someone was holding him back, preventing him from falling into the hole.

Ren looked up.

It was Eylis. The slender girl was pulling him out of the hole.

Her face was full of concern. Her deep brown eyes looked at Ren, making him feel warm, yet shiver at the same time.

"Hold on to him," Copper quickly rushed over, grabbing Ren's other arm, and slowly pulled him up.

Tarek saw this and smirked.

"That was close. Hey, don't drop that glowing crystal. It's expensive."

He stared intently at the glowing stone in Ren's hand. To him, it seemed the crystal was worth more than Ren's life.

Ren bit his lip, the anger slowly replacing the fear. But he didn't dare resist.

His gaze was fixed downward, as if something lurked beneath the hole.

"It's a spike trap. A basic type. If you step on it, you'll only get injured. But with this deep hole, the chances of dying if you fall in are high, considering the maximum HP for new players is only 250," Scholar muttered, staring at the trap, somewhat taken aback.

Then he quickly analyzed, as though he already knew everything. But his sharp eyes behind his glasses remained calm.

The others looked at the trap, the dark hole only revealing a few sharp spikes beneath.

Ren swallowed, realizing he nearly became a pin cushion.

But... there's nothing under there, Ren caught a glimpse below the trap as Copper and Eylis pulled him up.

The spikes are spaced far apart, Ren thought.

If he was lucky, he would fall without getting impaled, as Ren's body was quite slender.

His body trembled like a kitten pulled from a freezing river.

His heart raced, as if threatening to tear through his chest. His limbs were numb, as if they had turned to jelly.

Ren lay on the floor, desperately inhaling as if each breath were his lifeline.

"Are you... okay?" Eylis lifted Ren and asked with concern. Her worried face seemed to soften when she saw Ren was safe.

[Hp: 198/250]

Ren glanced at his health bar. "I think I'm fine. Thanks…"

"It's good that you're okay," Eylis smiled and gently patted Ren's back, making him recoil slightly.

Is he embarrassed? He's so cute.

Eylis kept her smile and stared at Ren.

"Next time, try not to step into the bright spots, kid," Tarek and his subordinates burst into laughter, seeing Ren's pale face, now even more drained from fear.

Ren bowed his head in silence, then glanced at Scholar and Copper. The two seemed to be discussing something secretly.

He could see the brief shock in Copper's eyes, along with Scholar's hesitant attitude.

Feeling someone's gaze, Copper turned to face Ren. He smiled warmly and nodded, stepping closer.

"I apologize, Ren, for putting you in this dangerous situation," he said earnestly. "To make up for it, I'll lead the way with you. I'll ensure your safety."

Scholar blinked slowly, as if missing something important. He glanced at Copper, his eyes behind the glasses flashing with something... then immediately looked away, returning to his usual indifference.

Copper placed his hand on Ren's shoulder, looking into his eyes, as if confirming something.

Ren froze for a moment. Does he really care about me?

He shook his head, pushing the thoughts aside and looked at Copper with a cautious gaze.

"Thank you..."

Copper smiled upon hearing the response and nodded.

"Lucky break, kid. I thought we'd have to redistribute the loot," Tarek stepped forward. His large, rough hand squeezed Ren's shoulder tightly, causing Ren to wince in pain.

Ren's brows furrowed slightly. He bit his lip as the pain shot from his shoulder down to his fingertips. He wanted to pull away, but Tarek's grip was too tight, as if trying to crush his bones.

"What do you plan on doing with him?" Eylis stepped forward, blocking Ren. Her determined eyes fixed on Tarek.

"Keep following this girl, kid," Tarek's sinister look seemed to swallow Ren. The cold air between the cracks of the stone made Ren shiver.

"But remember... don't do anything stupid that'll make me teach you a lesson."

The thug, though angry, still managed a smile and turned away, heading back to his subordinates.

But occasionally, he would glance back at Ren and Eylis with a knowing look.

Scholar had become unusually silent since Ren was pulled from the hole. He pushed his glasses up, glancing quickly at Ren, then at Copper.

Croak, croak

The croaky sound shattered the silence.

A frog's croak echoed in the dark, like a warning from the deep, dark paths ahead.

The sound of footsteps grew closer.

The red eyes suddenly gleamed in the deep darkness. Flickering like eerie flames.

Another croak rang out, but this time it was distorted, as if something not of this world had made the sound.

The air grew tense, like a stretched wire ready to snap.

The musty smell of the dungeon mixed with the sound of footsteps sliding on the stone floor. A dark figure flashed past Ren's sight so quickly that he only felt the cold gust of wind on his neck.

"Everyone, gather up. We're about to face our first monsters."

Copper's voice was firm, but before anyone could respond, a shadow dashed past.

"Croak!"

A pained cry echoed as Copper's sharp sword struck. The monster stumbled and crashed into the damp stone wall.

Ren shivered. Its HP had dropped by a third. In the faint light from the crystal, he could clearly see the creature's form:

A giant sewer frog.

Its body was as big as a hunting dog, its skin slimy and rough, with two red eyes glaring at Ren.

At that moment...

Swish!

Ren barely saw the dark figure rush toward him. The monster's long tongue shot out like a whip toward him.

He wanted to dodge, but his legs froze.

"Step back!"

Ren felt a strong force push him back. He staggered as Copper lunged forward, blocking the attack.

Clang!

Copper's sword clashed against the slick, long tongue. A bit of blood splattered as the metal sliced through flesh. But the blood from the frog's tongue seemed to vanish like little polygon shapes.

Its tongue was bleeding, the small red polygons representing blood slowly disappearing.

As that happened, the frog's HP continued to drop.

Copper's muscles tensed. He gripped his sword's hilt tightly.

"Don't let it attack again."

Copper's deep voice finished just as Ren blinked... and he vanished.

A faint red streak flashed through the air.

Copper appeared in front of the frog, his sword raised like a lightning strike.

"Slash!"

Two sword strikes cut through the slimy skin of the frog's chest.

"CROAKKK!!"

The monster screamed in agony, its body convulsing violently before collapsing.

Its HP plummeted.

The creature's body shattered into pieces, the greenish pixelated fragments disappearing into the air.

The space fell silent once more.

Ren was still recovering from the shock. He felt as though his breath had been stolen by what had just happened.

Copper sheathed his sword, his sharp gaze flicking to Ren.

"Are you okay?"