Nearly three weeks had passed. Now, Zero sat alone on a quiet bench, the weight of his silver badge heavier than it looked. A cold drink rested in his hand. He didn't really taste it—just needed the chill to keep him awake.
"System, can you show me my stats?" He whispered, his mind still distant.
The system chimed
[Name: Zero]
[Adventurer Rank: Silver | Mission Points: 240 / 250]
[Cultivation Tier: Peak Shardweaver]
[Challenge Timer: 5 Days Remaining]
[Chain Mastery - Level 1]
[Oathlink Sync: 100%]
[Passive Cultivation Stored: +152.21%]
[Talent Points: 0]
[Talent Level: Above Average]
[System Credits: 37]
'System right now, compared to the adventures of this town, where do I stand?'
"You're stronger than nearly every adventurer in this town."
"The strongest in this town is True-Greater Shardweaver" The system said, some pride hinted in it's tone.
'I even managed to beat intermediate mode in combat training. Took a dozen tries… but I did it.' He exhaled through his nose.
"Still can't handle Hard mode though. It's like fighting someone that knows me better than I do." He gave a dry chuckle.
A passerby glanced his way, confused—maybe by the whisper, maybe by the random chuckle to himself.
"Hey kid." A warm voice greeted him.
Zero looked up to see Henzo walking towards him with the usual smile on his face.
In just a few days, Henzo had become the only person Zero truly let in.
"Hey old man" Zero responded, in a way that would make anyone else confused as to who this old man was.
Henzo then ruffled his hair, "I thought I told you to stop calling me that" with a half angry, half joking tone.
Zero started escorting Henzo wherever he was going, not as a job. He and Henzo also started meeting up randomly, just to talk.
He talked about missions, mistakes, moments where he thought he wouldn't make it. About things he never thought he'd say aloud. And Henzo? He listened to it all, never rushing, never judging.
Zero never thought he'd feel this… steady. Like maybe the world wasn't always out to get him. And Henzo? He wasn't just kind. He felt like the father Zero never had—and never thought he deserved.
He didn't say it out loud. Probably never would. But walking beside the old man, listening to his stories… It felt like something he could hold onto.
Even if just for a while.
Back at the guild, Zero stood before the mission board., noticing an emergency mission.
{Emergency Mission – Verified}
{Threat Level: C+}
{Reward: 100 Mission Points + Completion Bonus}
Requirements: Solo Adventurer – Silver or Higher
He narrowed his eyes. He was only ten points short of Gold.
He didn't need something this difficult.
But.
"I need to grow stronger."
He took the request anyway.
As he walked it to the desk, a few voices caught his attention from a nearby table.
"You guys hear about what happened outside Vosswood?"
"The thing with the bandits?"
"Nah, not that. The slave caravan."
Zero stopped walking. His blood ran cold.
His hand clenched so hard the paper crummpled.
His legs felt locked in place.
"Zero. Calm down."
The system's voice rang out, steady but gentle.
"It's okay. Just listen. Don't do anything yet."
But the words kept coming.
"Yeah, I heard a whole group got taken. Only thing left was the collars and a wrecked cart. Must've been recent."
Zero's breath hitched. His vision tunneled.
Behind him, the guild clerk looked concerned.
"Sir…? Are you alright?"
In the next heartbeat, he was across the room.
The adventurers barely had time to blink.
The guild clerks hand was still outstretched.
"Where?"
Zero's voice was louder than he meant.
"Uhm. Outside Vosswood, east ridge. Why?"
But Zero was already gone.
Zero's footsteps echoed through the stone halls as he left the guild behind. He didn't remember moving—his body just acted.
"East ridge… That's only a few hours out."
"System. Details. Now."
[Locating relevant map data…]
[Estimated Time to Target: 2 hours, 18 minutes at current pace]
[Warning: Mission location and caravan site may overlap]
"Then I'll handle both."
He tightened the wrap around his chain and stepped into a run.
The forest near Vosswood was denser here. Thicker trees. Fewer patrols.
Even the wind felt tense.
The deeper he went, the more signs he saw: snapped branches, dried footprints in the mud, drag marks. Eventually, charred wood from a wrecked cart came into view, half-buried by leaves.
And scattered across the dirt—
Broken collars.
Zero froze. His breath hitched.
For a moment, everything was silent again.
[Pulse elevated.]
[No hostiles detected within 50 meters.]
[But signs of recent combat: 3 days old.]
He crouched, picking up one of the collars. The leather was cracked, still stained with fresh dirt.
He didn't speak. Just stared.
"System… were they killed here?"
[Negative. Tracks indicate multiple figures were taken alive—northwest route.]
Zero stood, gripping the collar so hard his knuckles whitened.
"Then I'll find them."
He stepped past the wreckage.
But just as he did—
A soft rustle.
From the trees to his left, a figure stepped out. Thin, tall, holding a blade, with two more behind him.
"You don't look like a merchant," the first one said. His voice was cocky.
Zero didn't answer. Just kept walking.
"Hey, I'm talkin' to you."
The man reached for Zero's shoulder.
He never touched it.
The chain whipped out, fast and clean. It struck the man's wrist mid-reach, sending his sword clattering to the ground. Before the others could react, Zero moved.
Threadsplit activated.
Two illusionary arcs lashed out—both attackers flinched in opposite directions.
Only one was real.
He struck the left one hard in the chest—sent him sprawling back against a tree.
The other panicked, fumbling his grip.
Zero stepped in and caught him clean across the jaw with the chain's weighted end.
They didn't get back up.
[ No Astral signature. Likely part of a local smuggling route.]
Zero stood over them, breathing evenly.
His eyes drifted northwest.
"I'm going to find that caravan."