Morning sunlight filtered softly through the forest, turning the dew-covered grass golden. Pramit yawned beside his small campfire, stretching lazily.
He had been planning another nap when movement in the mist caught his eye — a figure stumbling through the trees, barely visible.
"...Huh. Someone's running? Probably just a deer. Or a random monster. Not my problem," he muttered.
Then the figure fell. A soft grunt, scraping sound — clearly human.
Pramit blinked. "...Well, I guess I should check. Can't just leave them dying here."
He approached carefully. There, tangled in the grass and mist, was a girl. Silver hair stuck to her face, her clothes torn, and she was badly injured. She moaned faintly, too weak to move.
"Okay… not my plan for today, but fine," he muttered, crouching. "You're lucky I'm nearby. Not because I care or anything, obviously."
He gently lifted her. Fragile, trembling, but light enough to carry. Moving her through the forest exhausted him — muttering about bad luck, the cold morning, and how he just wanted a nap.
Finally, he reached his camp and laid her down. Her wounds were deep, bleeding in several areas.
"Yeah… she won't make it like this," he said quietly.
He scanned around for something to carry water in. "Great. No cup, no tools… I'm useless."
A faint blue glow appeared before him:
[System Notice: Beginner Survival Pack Unlocked][Items Received: Wooden Flask ×1 | Small Knife ×1 | Basic Cooking Pot ×1]
Pramit blinked. "Wow. Convenient timing. Thanks, I guess."
He filled the flask from the glowing spring in the nearby cave and carefully tilted it to her lips. The effect was immediate: wounds closed, bleeding stopped, and her breathing evened out. A soft shimmer spread over her body.
[System Detected: Legendary Item — Divine Spring Water][Effect: Fully heals all injuries and restores mana][Item Registered as: S-Level Potion]
Pramit stared. "S-level potion… from random cave water? Lucky me."
He leaned back against a tree, sighing. "I just wanted a nap. Now I'm playing nurse. My life's officially a fantasy comedy."
The scent of cooked fish still hung in the air when Pramit finally stirred from his nap.The fire had burned low, and faint sunlight filtered through the trees.
A soft groan drew his attention. The girl — the one he'd saved — was awake now, slowly pushing herself up from the bed of leaves.
"Easy," Pramit said, his voice calm but lazy. "You're still recovering. Try not to move too much, or you'll pass out again."
Her eyes fluttered open, confused at first — then relieved."You… saved me?" she whispered.
He scratched his cheek. "Yeah. You were lying half-dead in the middle of nowhere. Figured it'd be bad luck to walk past a corpse."
The girl blinked, unsure whether he was joking or serious. "Still… thank you. Truly."
He shrugged. "Don't mention it. I just don't like drama before breakfast."
A small, awkward silence followed — broken only by the gentle sound of the river. Then, after a moment, she spoke again.
"My name is Lyria," she said carefully. "I'm a C-rank hunter. I got separated from my party during an ambush."
Pramit raised an eyebrow. Hunter, huh?She didn't look like one. Too neat. Too nervous. But he didn't comment.
Then, without warning, his vision flickered — the familiar blue light of the system appeared before him.
[System Scan Activated]Name: EtimoniRace: HumanClass: Archer (C-Rank)**Level: 23**Trust: 12%Affection: 3%Note:False name detected. Proceed with caution.
Pramit stared for a few seconds, expression unchanged. Then the light faded, and he leaned back against the tree.
He didn't ask questions. He didn't react. He just muttered under his breath,
"What a beautiful liar…"
The girl tilted her head. "Did you say something?"
He waved his hand lazily. "Nah. Just thinking out loud. You should rest — you're no good to anyone half-dead."
She nodded weakly, lying back down. "Thank you again… I won't forget this."
Pramit looked away, sighing quietly.
"Yeah, yeah… just get better before I start charging rent."
A soft ding echoed in his ears — the system's cold, mechanical tone.
[New Quest: Protect Etimoni — Reward: Unknown]
He stared at the notification and muttered, half-annoyed, half-resigned,
"Figures. Can't even take a nap in peace without getting side quests."
He poked the dying fire with a stick, watching the smoke curl into the bright morning air.Somewhere deep down, though he wouldn't admit it, he was curious — about the girl, her fake name, and why fate had tied them together.