Ruminas opened her status panel and selected the mission for Act Three.
[Act Three – Scene One Mission]
[Human Stronghold: Escaping the train station was an unimaginable experience, but the danger hasn't vanished. The outside environment has begun to change, no longer suitable for human survival. You and your teammates must reach one of the strongholds where survivors gather to continue your journey, but, of course, this journey will be anything but easy.]
[Completion Conditions]
Eliminate 20 random monsters (0/20)
Reach Level 10 (Completed)
Undergo First Evolution (Completed)
Complete the 10km journey to the stronghold (Incomplete)
[Rewards: 1500 EXP, 15 Random Stat Points, 1 Skill Point, 1 Special Item]
[Reminder: This scene requires at least ten players to begin. Please wait patiently for other players.]
"Another escape mission, huh…?" Ruminas frowned.
As soon as she finished reading the mission requirements, another notification appeared.
[Important Notice: After scanning, no additional players were detected in the nearby area. Therefore, the next mission will begin in 24 hours. Until then, players cannot leave the safe zone. Due to the insufficient number of players compared to the initial requirement, players will face greater disadvantages. To compensate, the system will provide an additional benefit.]
[Benefit: Full map of the next area]
A 24-hour countdown timer then appeared on the screen.
"Again!?" Aoi shouted, clutching her head.
"Looks like we'll be stuck together for a while longer," Renji remarked.
"Ten kilometers isn't a short distance, especially with monsters ambushing us along the way!" Aoi spiraled into panic, immediately rushing to cling to Ruminas.
"Rumi-chan, what do we do…?" Aoi whimpered, her voice like a child's.
"Calm down. We can handle anything," Ruminas replied, though she sighed inwardly at the frustrating situation.
Turning to The Parasol Lady, Ruminas said, "Sorry, we'll have to put the art lessons on hold. I need to discuss plans with them first."
The Parasol Lady nodded, saying nothing more.
Ruminas then looked at the others. Clearly, they had seen the mission and knew it wouldn't be easy. When Ruminas activated the mission, the notification that they'd have to complete it with only four people further dampened everyone's spirits.
"Anyone close to evolving?" she asked.
"I am!" Aoi raised her hand eagerly.
"Then why haven't you evolved yet!?" Ruminas's eyes widened.
"…I forgot," Aoi mumbled softly.
The others' faces grew even gloomier.
"Go evolve now!" Ruminas barked.
"Got it…"
Aoi let go of Ruminas and shuffled to a corner to begin her evolution, falling into a deep sleep as a result. Now, only three of them were left to plan.
"Anyone else?" Ruminas asked.
"I'm nowhere close," Renji replied.
"Two more levels for me," Achlys said.
"I'm one level away," Ruminas shared her own status.
"So you'll evolve during the mission?" Achlys asked, her tone devoid of worry.
Ruminas nodded.
She opened the map provided by the system and pointed to a spot. "This area might be a dungeon. We could use it as a temporary shelter to evolve."
"But aren't there monsters in dungeons too?" Renji countered.
"Yes, but dungeon monsters are spread out and won't leave their territories unless enemies invade. Using it to avoid the chaotic, crowded monsters outside is a good idea."
"I see," Renji said, stroking his beard, no longer objecting.
"Now, let's review the map's overview. The dungeon is four kilometers from the starting point, through a cave with multiple paths and complex terrain. There could be traps and ambushing monsters. We should map out a route to avoid getting lost."
The three continued their discussion and selected the least treacherous path.
"The dungeon itself is about three kilometers long. Traveling through it will save us some distance, but the final stretch is the most dangerous."
All three turned their attention to the final segment of the journey.
It was a massive lava lake with only narrow, unstable paths above it. Moving too aggressively or slipping would mean an instant fall into the molten depths.
"There are also holes in the cave's ceiling. No matter how you look at it, monsters will definitely drop from there," Renji said, his face growing tenser than before.
"And under the lava too," Ruminas added.
Silence fell over the group.
Ruminas began brainstorming solutions.
At that moment, the creature coiled around her, which had been dormant for a long time, suddenly stirred awake after a long slumber.
"You're up, Beru. Feeling anything strange?" she asked.
Beru stretched a few times, wriggling back and forth to indicate it was fine.
"I almost forgot about you," Ruminas thought to herself.
"Beru, we'll need your special ability for something soon. Can you handle it?" she asked.
Beru didn't respond verbally but poked her neck, signaling that as long as she provided enough aura, it could perform the task again.
"Deal," Ruminas said with a smile. A problem had just arisen, and a solution had already presented itself, but she didn't let her guard down.
"Beru's ice ability can handle part of it, but the area is too vast. I can't let it drain all my aura. We need to plan carefully…"
"I can run on walls. I'll handle any monsters dropping from the holes," Achlys offered.
"All I've got is this tough body. I'll hold off as much as I can," Renji added.
Ruminas nodded.
The basic issues were tentatively resolved. For now, there was nothing to do but wait for the countdown to end.
In the meantime, Ruminas sought out The Parasol Lady in another train car to continue learning about her art.
The Parasol Lady nodded.
"So, what do I need to do?" Ruminas asked.
"For the first stage, learn stillness. It's not just about sitting motionless—it's about fading your presence until it vanishes completely."
"Is that even possible?" Ruminas frowned.
"Of course. This first stage is the foundation for all the others. You need to understand that the natural world is filled with flowing streams of aura, but their presence is so subtle that humans can't perceive them. By making yourself fade, you're actually merging with those streams. Only then can you comprehend, grasp, and wield them."
"Alright, how do I do that?"
"Do nothing," The Parasol Lady replied.
Ruminas furrowed her brow but didn't press further.
"For some, the first stage is easy, but others can never achieve it, no matter how hard they try. It all depends on your innate talent," The Parasol Lady said with a faint smile.
Ruminas stayed silent.
She sat still, closed her eyes, and tried to sense the air around her, but nothing happened. She remained herself, with no sign of "merging" or "vanishing."
After a while, Ruminas opened her eyes and sighed.
"I can meditate, but nothing's changing."
Ruminas had honed her meditation skills since learning the "gentle aura," but this time, she truly felt nothing.
"Meditation alone isn't enough. You must do nothing, but if you truly do nothing, nothing will change," The Parasol Lady said.
Ruminas's head spun at the cryptic words.
"Can you explain it more clearly?" she asked.
The Parasol Lady paused, then said, "Fine, I'll show you once."
"Great!"
"Look at me," The Parasol Lady instructed.
Ruminas widened her eyes, focusing intently.
"Can you see me?" The Parasol Lady asked.
Ruminas nodded.
They stayed like that for a moment before The Parasol Lady asked again, "Can you see me?"
Ruminas was about to say yes but froze—she could no longer see The Parasol Lady in front of her.
"How…!? I was watching you the whole time!"
"Indeed, I haven't moved. I'm still right here," The Parasol Lady said.
Following her voice, Ruminas confirmed it came from directly in front of her, but when she reached out to check, she felt nothing.
"Can you see me?" The Parasol Lady asked again.
"Of course not—"
Before Ruminas could finish, The Parasol Lady reappeared, sitting in the same position as before.
"That was incredible! I couldn't tell when you vanished at all," Ruminas exclaimed.
"There were subtle shifts during the process. Catching those shifts will help you understand part of it, but whether you can do it depends on your talent."
"Got it!"
Determination flared in Ruminas's eyes. After witnessing The Parasol Lady's demonstration, she had a vague sense of what to do. With limited time left, she could only push as far as possible.
"A new goal begins!"