Sword Art Online: Moonlight Swordman.

"Who would've thought that thing would take over the spider nest? Everything looked normal just yesterday." The spear-wielding player stared at the nest, voice tinged with confusion.

The rest of the group exchanged glances, their expressions gradually hardening.

"Yeah... I thought camping next to the nest would be safe..."

Ren frowned slightly, as if he had just touched upon something odd. Seeing this, the only female player in the group spoke up, her tone apologetic but clear.

"Normally... we complete the Land Spider hunt by using this method. When they first spawn, they usually cluster inside the nest. We just need to set up an ambush and block the exit, they can't do much."

She hesitated, then pointed toward the nest.

"But this time, it wasn't like that. The thing inside wasn't one or two spiders... it was that monster. You saw it yourself."

Her voice dropped lower.

"We were caught completely off guard. Two of our members lost the ability to fight from the start... and from there, everything spiraled out of control..."

"Maybe... there was an unusual spawn recently?" Ren asked, his gaze never leaving the scene.

The Tanker shook his head and clicked his tongue. "No, we've been doing this quest for three days now. The spiders in this area spawn on schedule, in the right spots. Nothing unusual has ever shown up."

"It definitely wasn't a miniboss, right?" the third player chimed in, voice still shaky. He exhaled heavily, slumping onto a moss-covered rock, gripping his shoulder. "If it were an event boss, the system should've given us a warning... or at least shown its name."

"Maybe..." Ren looked toward the nest again, his eyes fixed on the leftover webbing and jagged spikes. "It took over the spiders' nest. And if that's true... maybe it's time we started thinking of monsters as creatures with real instincts, with thought, with choice, not just mindless AI."

The entire group fell silent.

Ren turned to them, his voice more serious. "This world isn't a game anymore. If we keep fighting with a 'play-to-win' mindset, treating monsters as just scripted patterns, we'll eventually die because of that thinking."

No one responded immediately. They simply stood there, a mix of uncertainty and doubt. But in their eyes, a shadow of hesitation stirred, an unspoken questioning of everything they had believed until now.

After a moment, the spear-user finally broke the silence, trying to sound light: "...Alright. Let's head back. That's more than enough for today. I think... we need to be better prepared next time."

"Yeah. Antidotes, traps... we can't underestimate these monsters anymore." The Tanker nodded in agreement.

"What about you?" the female player asked, her eyes having lingered on Ren for a while. "Are you coming back with us?"

Ren shook his head. "I still have part of my quest left. Go, don't linger here too long."

Without another word, he turned around, quietly disappearing into the thick fog, into the place where the faint light could no longer reach.

Among the thin trees casting long shadows over the damp ground, only the forest's breath remained, and the rustle of leaves, swallowing every footprint left behind.

"Wait a second... that silhouette... I just remembered." The spear-user took a step back, eyes locked onto the mist where Ren had vanished. His voice had grown hoarse with surprise.

"You know him?" the other three turned toward him in unison.

"Not exactly..." He shook his head, eyes still fixed on the same spot. "But... remember when I said I was part of the first boss raid on the first floor?"

"I thought you were joking," the Tanker frowned.

"With your skill level, you got in?" the girl let out a scoffing laugh, her eyes sharp as knives.

"I wasn't joking." The spear-user gripped his weapon tighter, his tone turning solemn."That battle... there was one moment I think no one who saw it could ever forget."

He raised his head, his eyes seemingly reliving a distant memory.

"Three players stepped forward to hold the boss off long enough for the others to escape.A moment that lasted barely a few dozen seconds... but it decided the fate of dozens of lives."

"Beater Kirito with his black sword. The Lightning Flash Asuna. And a third person..." He hesitated."At the time, that person had their hood up. Their weapon was different, and I couldn't see their face... but the speed, the reflexes... and that frame..."

"Are you... calling them short?" the girl cut in, voice sharp as if he'd hit a nerve.

"No!" he waved frantically. "That's not what I meant. It's just... that frame, compact, sharp, slicing through the air like a blade. There aren't many players who move like that. I'm not certain... but I truly believe the one we just met was that third person."

"So you're saying..." The third player hesitated, eyes still fixed on the misty forest ahead. "One of the three who once held back the first boss, who saved who knows how many lives that day... is now hunting monsters alone in this place?"

His voice trailed off, nearly a whisper, as if the question itself touched a truth he didn't want to admit.

"Shouldn't someone like that be on the frontlines, with one of the big guilds, or at least part of some elite team?"

The girl frowned, arms crossed."If it really is him... then not being in any party is definitely strange."

"Maybe... he chose to fight alone," the spear-user said quietly, lowering his gaze."Or... maybe... no one chose him."

The words dropped like a stone into still water.No one answered. No one scoffed. No one argued. Only silence remained.

The mist drifted lazily between the trees, like the weary breath of the forest itself.

"Whatever the reason…" the tanker finally spoke, voice steady and calm. "That day, he saved us from a terrible end. If I get the chance… I want to repay him."

The spear-wielding player nodded slowly. "Me too."

The female player snorted and turned her face away, her hair brushing softly in the breeze. "I don't like the type who always acts all mysterious… like this world is some puzzle made just for them."

Then she paused for a beat, and sighed. "But… if he hadn't been there today… we probably would've died in that forest."

"Yeah... but we still have to level up fast to meet the requirements to join one of the two new big guilds… we'll probably meet again on the frontlines someday…"

None of the four said anything more. They just stood there, in silence, eyes fixed on the deep forest where that lone figure had disappeared.

None of them was sure what they were hoping for, a return, an explanation, or perhaps just a glance back.

But the only response was the whispering wind through the leaves. And footprints, fading slowly into the pale mist.

Ren opened his inventory and checked the item that had just dropped after defeating the monster. He selected the equipment materialization option. A glimmer shone faintly through the mist, and as the light faded and he grasped something in his hand, he realized it was a dagger.

[Equipment: Lurker Dagger]

[Type: Dagger]

[Durability: 90/90]

[Damage: 75]

[+3 AGI]

[+1 STR]

[Effect: 6% chance to inflict Poison Level 1 on enemies]

[Safe Enhancement Limit: 7]

Not a bad item… its stats were nearly on par with his Windslash sword before enhancement. The poison effect was a plus, and the stats were excellent for those with a speed-focused playstyle, especially agile players like Ren.

Additionally, the safe enhancement count was very high. His Windslash only had a safe enhancement limit of 4. Once that limit is reached, any further enhancements risk breaking the weapon, with the chance increasing at each level.

Ren had heard that Kirito's sword had up to 8 safe enhancements. He treated that weapon like a treasure...

But Ren merely twirled the dagger silently between his fingers, the thin steel blade gleaming with a pale, cold green.

Daggers… He wasn't used to this type of weapon. In fact, among everyone Ren had met, players or NPCs, hardly anyone used daggers.

They were too light. Too close-range. And required a completely different fighting style.

He let out a quiet breath and silently stowed the weapon in his inventory.

He'd probably sell it. It might fetch a decent price.

But then Ren paused for a moment. "I think… I know someone who uses this kind of weapon."

That thought made the corner of his lips twitch upward. A strange smile flickered across his face, cunning, almost mocking, pulling his usually stoic expression into something twisted and uncanny.

For a moment, his face looked like a lifeless doll wearing a fake mischievous grin, making the previously calm harmony feel suddenly unbalanced and uneasy.

"Guess this won't be a total loss…" Ren muttered, a rare glint of interest flickering in his eyes.

He placed the dagger back into his inventory and sighed lightly.

Even though he had landed the final blow on the monster, he only received half the rewards, the rest had to be split among the four other players who had reduced the monster's HP earlier.

After all, the monster was already down to less than half its health, and the system calculated rewards based on overall contribution.

It wasn't exactly regret he felt… more like something lingering. A bit of quiet. A bit of loneliness.

Ren knew that if he hunted alone, he would earn more: full rewards, no sharing, no burdens. But at the same time, unexpected dangers would come relentlessly, especially on this floor, where everything seemed more alive, more dangerous.

Joining a party meant someone had your back, someone shared the risks. But it also meant accepting that your efforts would never entirely be your own.

Ren gave a slight shake of the head, reminding himself not to dwell on it.

Without lingering any longer, he pushed deeper into the forest, where the mist still hung like a veil woven from the breath of silent spirits.