Gliding over the vastness of this green realm, I quickly scanned the area ahead. This area has a name: the Forest of Wavering Green Titans. A player's mini-map is rendered useless due to the intense haze, and occasionally players can walk into a mist so thick that they can barely see a thing.
I can barely see anything myself, despite being so far up here. With that in mind, the ironclad rule that resides within these parts is to not leave the main path or your party, as one may presume. However, watching this wild goose chase is not very good for my non-existent heart.
The relentless pursuit continued deeper into the forest as the horde of Shades was inching closer to the two players.
"Do it now!" Ji-Soon quickly catapults a small pouch, using a tree branch as momentum, towards her.
A bright pink aura surrounded Emiko's body before she dashed forward, illuminating her presence wildly through the dense fog.
With a decisive vault along the forest's massive roots, she grabbed onto the little bag in midair, and with a swift motion, she rotated her body around before crashing to the ground in front of the vicious hordes.
As the water vapour of the surrounding landscape was launched into compression, Emiko extended out one arm, and the mist began to coil around her palm before tracing a straight horizontal route towards the crowd of
The flashing light became more intense, with hints of sparkles beginning to glow with a lambent light above her hand. Eventually, a small piece of paper with tiny writing appeared on her palm before gently twinkling before her eyes.
Emiko quickly reached inside the little pocket to take out a kunai that was covered with small nicks along the edges. "How is the durability already this low? What did you do to it?" She hissed, her voice sharp as it echoed through the twisting branches.
"What did you expect?" Ji-Soon shot back, breathless, as they tore through the dense mist.
"We've been crashing into this hellish terrain nonstop! Now, quit complaining and use it before we both die!" His voice was taut with panic, desperately gasping as his words were almost lost in the suffocating mist.
"Stop dictating my actions, ASSHOLE!" She cursed before quickly attaching the talisman to the kunai.
Without hesitating, she hurled it into the mist, its path barely visible before a flurry of projectiles sliced through the fog, striking at the advancing horde with brutal precision.
The tension in the air thickened as the mob closed in, the branches seeming to close around them, leaving no escape.
In that split second, the Shades came to a complete halt before launching vicious attacks on one another.
The enchanted paper, also known as Cupid's Corruption, a Leere that takes the form of a talisman that resembles an Ofuda and is endowed with a potent charm spell that enables her to temporarily possess her desired target. (An Ofuda is a talisman made out of various materials, such as paper, wood, cloth, or metal. Ofuda are commonly found in both Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples.)
"Bullseyes!!" Emiko threw a smirk at Ji-Soon before focusing the rest of her mana on the mass destruction.
Cupid's Corruption drains a large amount of mana, a type of energy system in the game, whereby it allows players to perform their unique skills and attack sequences that otherwise are impossible to generate without some sort of magic system.
It struck me when I noticed the branch right next to me begin to shake. With my hollow body suspended just a few inches off a tree branch, I was perfectly camouflaged in the fog; however, another individual was able to clearly see them through the dense fog. This person seems familiar.
'Tick, tick, tick!' A faint ticking sound could be heard by Ji-Soon, which caused him to flinch a little.
Over Ji-Soon's head, rustling could be heard as he darted towards Emiko, who was busy destroying the Shades' remains.
"Get down!!" He yelled before tackling Emiko down to the ground.
A thunderous "BOOM!" was let out.
The explosion tore the surrounding vapour as if it were determined to render apart every water particle in the air, leaving a tiny crater amongst the trees.
For a brief while, the surroundings were plainly visible before the haze quickly contracted itself and returned to its former shape.
Upon opening his eyes, Ji-Soon witnesses a large blue barrier rustling in the centre of his vision before fleetingly blinking and dissipating. Sparks erupt from the peculiar apparatus, brushing across his eyes before leaving black stains on the dirt.
"Huh... a force field?" Emiko grasped.
"Talk about dodging a bullet, or rather, a whole-ass nuke." Ji-Soon jested while lying strangely comfortably on the ground.
"UGH! Get off me," she grunted.
"Whoops! My bad," as he fell on his rear besides her.
"Sorry about that, you two, but I couldn't help but intervene. You guys almost got yourselves killed." A voice came out from the treetops before a green icon came stumbling down onto the leaves.
"Killed? Who are you?" Ji-Soon questioned the stranger.
"Here. Put these on. They'll clean the view." The blurry figure hurled over two pieces of gear that almost resembled an eyeball onto the ground.
"Ugh—why does it look wet?" Emiko reacted vulgarly before gagging at the sight of it.
"Special vision gear. Enough to navigate this soup." Said the mysterious person, whose face was covered by the thick mist.
"Stop whining. Put it on." Ji-Soon quickly grabbed the item on the ground.
They both gently tap their fingers on the item before a popup menu appeared, seeking the user's permission to equip it.
The moment the item was equipped, the two players were stunned by the allure of the forest. The trees, whose enormous trunks were dark brown with sable fractures that gnarled the bark, were shrouded in the softest of clouds.
They turned into shadows against a field of white as Ji-Soon's eyes followed the border of the forest, giving the impression that it was only daytime where they both stood and that twilight was around them. However, the current time shown on the top right of his field of vision was 10 p.m.
The mist that once clouded their vision began to dissipate or, instead, fade from view.
The tall, blurry figure that assisted them started becoming easier to see.
The figure shifted into a chiselled, well-built, sharply dressed man with a dark complexion as their eyes adjusted to see through the fog. The stranger's hair was tied unusually, appearing to be braided in a rope-like fashion and tied back into a ponytail.
Their jaws fell agape in awe, as neither of the two had actually seen a foreigner with such a dark skin tone nor such a bold appearance before now.
Closing her jaw, Emiko angled herself to see above the man's head, and her vision zoomed into his gamertag, somewhat straining her neck due to his tall stature.
"Ko-n- Ko-onpoto?" Emiko tried to pronounce the foreign name.
"It's pronounced Komp-to," the man added, correcting her.
"It's pronounced Konputo, Emiko; you really need to brush up on your Katakana," Ji-soon lectured.
"Zip it. First non-Japanese I've met in here. My mouth trips," she pouted angrily.
Hahaha, don't worry, when we get out of this game, we can go and watch some Western movies to improve your English," Ji-Soon teased as he leant against a tree.
"As if I'd watch them with you out of all people," Emiko huffed, crossing her arms.
"Ahem, sorry to interrupt you, lovebirds," the gentleman's voice cut through the fog, halting their bickering.
Emiko shifted her attention towards him as she raised her eyebrows furiously.
"And you... You almost killed us with whatever explosive you threw at those mobs, and why did you have to steal my experience points like that? I obviously could have killed them on my own; I never asked for your help," she said, pushing Ji-Soon aside to confront the tall man.
Kompto stood still, staring down at Emiko with a stern expression, for a few moments before turning his body to face the outskirts of the forest.
The man raised one of his arms to call for his inventory.
"Here," he tossed two clear bottles that almost resembled a conical flask.
Snatching the items in the air instantly, Emiko scanned the objects under the name
"Equal payout to what you lost," the man said, his tone casual but with an underlying seriousness. He took a slow step forward, fog swirling around his boots. "You asked why I intervened earlier. It's simple—you would've killed yourself if I'd let you finish them off."
Emiko's eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"
He let out a sigh, like this was a lesson she should've known.
"At ten percent they split and refill. You needed a single wipe, not pretty DPS." He emphasised the point, his gaze steady. "Trust me, I saved your skin."
The players froze, shock washing over them at the man's words. A gust of wind swept through the trees, making the silence feel heavier.
Ji-Soon broke it first, his voice incredulous. "How do you even know that? This is the first Dusk Protocol, and I'm pretty sure this isn't some event. It's a permanent feature, not region-specific. This should be everyone's first time dealing with this."
The man's gaze shifted slightly, almost amused. "Your HUD has a Bestiary. Documentary tab. Check it."
"Bestiary what?" Ji-Soon blinked, his face blank.
"An item?" Emiko tilted her head, joining in.
"Yes," the man replied, his tone patient.
"Go into your inventory. Documentary section. It logs mobs—weak points, habits, and tells. The Shade is part of the Hush family. One of the strongest enemies in the game." His words were even, unhurried.
The man's words hung in the silence like a thick mist, slowly seeping into their minds. Ji-Soon's eyes widened as the weight of it settled in.
"Wait... so we could've died?"