Silverleaf City, Kyle's home
Just moments ago, Kyle had been staring wide-eyed at the sky, his face pale as he watched the storm of lightning rage overhead.
Any one of those four mages across from him was a being so powerful he could only look up to them in awe. Yet in the blink of an eye, they had been silently and effortlessly erased from existence.
A strange sense of déjà vu washed over him.
"...In the darkness of night, above a Tower of Magi, half the sky was churning with blood-red lightning, while the other half was covered in a ruthless frost. Below, dozens of mages struggled desperately to hold their ground…"
Strangely enough, some of those figures seemed oddly familiar to him.
Just as he tried to focus on the memory, a searing pain shot through his mind like needles stabbing into his skull.
Caught off guard, Kyle clutched his head and let out a sharp cry.
Behind him, a voice filled with surprise rang out.
"Are you okay?"
The voice was light and carefree.
Kyle realized that, to her, wiping out those four powerful mages in an instant was nothing more than a trivial task.
His whole body stiffened.
Then, the realization struck him again—what a great opportunity.
The gray-robed mage standing before him was nothing like her casual tone suggested. She was, without a doubt, an unfathomably powerful mage.
She might even have reached the level of an Archimage.
The idea came back again.
If—if he could become her apprentice…
His heart burned with anticipation.
Without hesitation, Kyle turned around, dropped to his knees, and lowered his head, bowing deeply before the puppet.
"Master Mage, as you know, every mage, upon graduating from the academy, can pledge themselves to only one mentor for life.
I, Kyle Carter, swear upon the magic flowing in my blood, upon the full extent of my potential—
If you accept me as your disciple, I will devote my life and soul to you, for eternity.
I will follow your teachings, obey your commandments, and never betray you.
Your will shall be my guide.
I humbly beg you to grant me this highest of honors—to become your student and walk in your footsteps on the path of magic."
His voice trembled with emotion, his forehead pressed against the ground, waiting anxiously for her response.
At that moment, time seemed to freeze.
Then, he heard a sharp intake of breath.
A pale, slender hand emerged from the sleeve of the gray robe.
Her fingertips rested lightly on his shoulder, and an irresistible yet gentle force lifted him to his feet.
The moment he stood upright, the hand withdrew.
Kyle stood before the puppet, stiff and uncertain, gazing up at her with awe and anticipation.
Her face remained concealed beneath the hood of her robe. Only the faintest trace of a smile could be seen in the shadows.
However, without hesitation, she rejected him.
Actually, Ava herself is also puzzling.
Wait, why is this NPC bringing it up again?
And now he's kneeling?!
Well, this is getting awkward…
Maybe "becoming Kyle's mentor" is some kind of mandatory NPC quest?
But the problem was—She could not live that long.
If Kyle was right—that a mage could have only one mentor for life—then she really couldn't take this quest.
She could only play for three more months at most.
So it's better to leave this quest for the next player.
"I'm sorry, but I can't take you as my student."
She hesitated, then added, "Actually, I… am only passing through. I won't be staying for long."
Kyle lowered his head, swallowing the bitter lump in his throat.
Sure, he got rejected, again!
He should be.
A mage as powerful as her—would never consider to accept a regular person like him.
His chest felt tight; his voice hoarse as he forced out the words:
"…I understand, honored mage. Thank you… for everything you've done for me today."
Ava wasn't really paying attention to what Kyle was saying.
She rolled her shoulders and stretched her arms.
She'd been playing for quite a while, and now, it's time for a break.
She opened the game menu to look for a logout button.
…But there is nothing.
Not only was there no logout, but there wasn't even a pause button.
Uh…
Ava was searching for a logout button when the game suddenly flooded her screen with notifications. At the same time, a deep, solemn bell toll suddenly echoed through her bedroom. It sounded just like the soundtrack of an ancient war film.
[WARNING!
Due to player Ava's elimination of Duke Stern's nephew, the ruling power of the Rhine Duchy is enraged! The Duke has issued a decree to mobilize the full might of the Duchy to hunt down player Ava and her companion, Kyle!]
[Achievement Unlocked: "Enemy of the Rhine Duchy"]
[Hidden Quest Triggered: Help Kyle survive the Duchy's manhunt and successfully flee beyond its borders!!]
[Difficulty Adjustment: Due to the hidden quest trigger, game difficulty has increased from 'Beginner' to 'HELL MODE.'
Dear player Ava, please be well prepared!]
[Friendly Reminder:
Your boyfriend 'Kyle' is currently at critically low morale, which is not ideal for fleeing. We strongly recommend you soothing him and maintaining a good relationship with him,hohohohoho ^_^]
…
Ava: Huh?
HELL MODE??? Are you freaking kidding me?!
How could I get prepared for Hell Mode?
Ava forgot all about her headache.
Wait.
One of those four little red dots she had just wiped out… actually had this much background influence?!
"Mobilizing the full might of the Duchy"
The game wouldn't seriously be trying to scare her, right?
Mobilizing the entire duchy's forces… She was curious—just how much power were they talking about?
The game never let her down.
As if responding to her thoughts, the screen changed once more. Aside from the small stone house where she and Kyle were, the entire map turned blood red.
Frowning, Ava zoomed in. That was when she realized—the red wasn't a solid color. It was made up of countless densely packed dots.
Each dot represented an enemy.
"Hiss—" Ava took a sharp breath.
Feeling a little guilty, she stole a glance at Kyle.
She absolutely couldn't let this NPC find out that he had become a wanted man because of her.
Clearing her throat, she tried to sound calm. "Ahem, so, uh…"
Kyle immediately looked up, hope rekindling in his eyes.
Ava hesitated for a moment before saying, "I've changed my mind just now. I accept you as my disciple."
The moment the words left her mouth, Kyle's eyes lit up.
"I'm leaving the Rhine Duchy immediately to journey across the continent. Hurry up! Pack your things—we're heading out soon."