When Novus finally stopped, the pair were outside town, staring at the critters and horned rabbits roaming around the fields.

The player Novus has sent you a friend request. The player Novus has sent you a party request.

“Huh?”

Adrianne glanced at an otherwise calm Novus as he tapped across what she assumed was his system settings. Then, while looking at Novus’ reaction, Adrianne accepted the requests.

The player Novus has been added to your friend list You have joined a party

He seems unfazed.

Novus looked up and spoke to Adrianne.

“Alright, go fight some horned rabbits.”

However, all he got was a defiant look from Adrianne.

“Horned rabbits? Don’t you think that’s a little too easy?”

This is my opportunity to show him I can help him, and he wants me to fight horned rabbits?

Novus shrugged in a too-calm manner.

“Then, show me how you would attack a foe stronger than you. On the rabbits.”

It almost seemed belittling how he talked to Adrianne, yet she couldn’t feel anything in his tone to signify that. More like a gentle, firm nudging to do what he wanted. Novus added another enticement.

“I’ll need to know fighting abilities if we work together.”

Adrianne’s eyes immediately perked.

Does this mean he accepts the deal?

“This doesn’t mean I’ll accept your deal.”

Adrianne deflated, but she still held a hint of anticipation. After all, if it was fighting against some horned rabbit, she was sure it wasn’t too difficult. She had fought worse in her previously grievous state.

Adrianne walked into the beginner fields as twinkling lights formed beneath her flowing cloak. Light, ornamental-looking metal armour fit her form and highlighted the natural curves of her body. Suddenly, the cloak's sides floated apart, and the emblem of a wolf’s maw was seen on her breastplate. With her intense eyes, powered by her Spirit Eyes, and her cloak parting, Adrianne seemed like a wolf ready to pounce. However, her mind was anything but sharp.

It's just a game, Adrianne. Right? The rabbits aren’t real. Just do it like before.

Adrianne’s steps accelerated as Quick Movements allowed a short burst of speed towards an innocent horned rabbit. Then, with a single opening slash, Adrianne cleanly split apart the horned rabbit before it even finished hopping.

Oh god, it's… it's…

Adrianne’s steps faltered as she gazed at the rabbit split in two with horrid attention. It wasn’t until Novus was beside her that Adrianne realized he had been trying to speak to her. The twinkling lights had already taken her horned rabbit away.

“Adrianne? Ah, you can hear me now. Deactivate your skills and try again with another rabbit. Unequip that armour set too. It’s a little overkill for the horned rabbits, don’t you think?”

Adrianne heard Novus but didn’t immediately act. Instead, she looked at him with a deep unwillingness.

“Are you sure that’s not enough? I think I’ve clarified that I can take on a horned rabbit.”

A tired, sly look appeared in Novus’ eyes, making it seem like he had already run through this scenario once before.

“Humour me.”

Reluctantly, Adrianne unequipped her armour set and deactivated her two skills. She didn’t run towards the horned rabbit this time. Instead, she walked over.

It's just a game. It's just a game.

She weaved caution into her steps and ensured the horned rabbit wasn't scared away. Adrianne was within a few feet when she unleashed her sword toward the rabbit.

Clink!

“Ah?”

Compared to earlier, the sword’s speed enabled the rabbit to evade quite easily. It hopped a few steps away and eyed Adrianne with caution.

One more time.

However, the second sword attack ended up like the first. The third, fourth, fifth and umpteenth sword strikes also missed their mark. It wasn’t until Adrianne’s breathing was heavy and all the nearby rabbits had run far away that Novus’ voice reached Adrianne’s ears.

“Adrianne! Come back!”

Tch.

Perhaps something in Novus’ tone soothed the frustration in Adrianne because although she wanted to, she let the rabbits munch on grass. However, her aggressive walk relayed how she felt.

“Alright, I’ll accept. On a few conditions.”

Adrianne’s previous frustrations floated away as she heard the words that should have arrived hours ago. If the conditions weren’t too terrible, she would be willing to agree to preserve her sanity.

“Firstly, I’ll be the system’s party leader. Ah, you probably haven’t used it. It’s a part of the system that lets us see each other’s conditions, set up a distribution for items we acquire and more. Regarding item distribution, I’ll remain impartial and focus on us both getting stronger.”

Adrianne nodded her head. The condition seemed to favour Novus, but Adrianne was willing to give up the party leadership role to reach a mutual agreement.

Seeing Adrianne’s relative acceptance, Novus continued to speak his terms.

“Secondly, I’ll be teaching you how to fight.”

Adrianne craned her neck as she thought she hadn’t quite heard him right.

“Sorry, you want to do what?”

Novus wasn’t surprised by Adrianne’s response. Instead, he smiled and repeated himself with a few add-ons.

“Your fighting ability is terrible. So, I’m going to teach you how to fight.”

“I bisected a horned rabbit in two!”

“With skills and equipment.”

Adrianne’s words faltered. She knew she couldn’t even hit the rabbit without her skills. But who didn’t use skills and items to get stronger? Items and skills were a part of her strength too.

Seeing the stubbornness contained in Adrianne’s eyes, Novus moved to an area with plentiful hopping-horned rabbits.

“Hey! Don’t just walk away from me!”

“Quiet. You’ll scare the rabbits. Come here, little rabbit. Come on.”

From the ground, Novus picked a patch of grass and offered it to the horned rabbit with whatever-his-name’s sword in tow.

Meanwhile, hot air was rushing to Adrianne’s head.

What an extraordinary fighter. He can lure rabbits with a few words. I can’t help but—

Slice!

Novus gently pet the rabbit sniffing his boots. Then, with a single unsuspecting motion, Novus grabbed the rabbit by the ears and sliced its throat. Not a single cry was heard as Adrianne covered her mouth and the lustre in the rabbit’s eyes gently faded.

Plop!

Adrianne stepped back and fell as Novus threw the dead rabbit at her. Then, he walked over and put his sword into the rabbit’s head as the effects of the system activated and turned the rabbit into twinkling lights.

“You lack both fighting mentality and experience. The fear in your eyes betrays any sword skills you may have, and without your skills and equipment, you're nothing more than a little girl swinging a sword without care.”

Still half in shock from having a dead rabbit thrown at her, Adrianne lacked a coherent sentence.

“I don’t think anyone fights—”

“I do.”

Novus interrupted her without any concern.

“And if you want to play, not fight, then you can leave right now. We will be fighting, which means you’ll see more dead creatures.”

Novus crouched down as he met with Adrianne’s wavering eyes.

“Adrianne, I don’t know what the system told you, but this isn’t a game. The twinkling lights, the maddened players, the immortality. It all makes it seem like it isn’t real. But I assure you, for the common person, what you call an NPC is very real.”

The glint in Novus’ eyes sparked as he unintentionally released a bit of his Crimson Aura.

“Deadly real.”

…

The silence between the two lasted as Adrianne tried to process everything. Adrianne’s eyes shivered as she looked around at the horned rabbits being taken out by nearby players.

I… I… I know. I guess a part of me knew that—the part of me that went on a rampage, the part that has already experienced it.

Novus spoke to break the silence. However, his voice still held the firm gentleness as he concealed his Crimson Aura again.

“Look, Adrianne, I can tell your sword form is polished. I can’t tell its origins, but it's a good start. If you let me, I could train you faster than anyone else. Strong enough to defeat that power trapping you.”

Adrianne’s eyes were still conflicted as they looked at Novus. Then, suddenly, something unexpected appeared.

F-Grade Quest – Training with Novus

To grow stronger, one must walk many paths. The path of a student is one such path.

Learn how to fight from Novus (0/1)

Change your fighting mentality (0/1)

Reward: ???, Lotus Sword Form One

Adrianne’s confused eyes met with Novus’ analyzing eyes as she mumbled to him.

“Did you…?”

However, Novus was unaware of whatever Adrianne had seen pop up before her. Adrianne didn’t end up finishing her sentence, and a light sigh escaped from her lips. Finally, Adrianne met Novus’ confident eyes.

“This better not be one of your split personas. So what’s your third condition?”

Quest Accepted.

Novus’ eyes warmed as he voiced his satisfaction.

“Good. The other conditions I’ll tell you on the way.”

Before Adrianne could ask where they were headed, Novus continued speaking and walking.

“You were right. Rabbits are a little too easy. Foxes should be a better starting point.”

Novus’ back turned to Adrianne, and she felt an odd sense of placement. Like she finally felt grounded for the first time since ending up in this strange world, but with the most confusing person she had ever met.

What did I just get myself into?

Adrianne shook her head as she followed behind Novus, who was heading north in a brisk run now.