Ahrie and Min took another look around.

The air was thick, damp… the kind that clung to your lungs.

Roots crept through cracked stone walls like veins, twisting across the floor.

Ancient carvings lined the pillars, some erased by time, some swallowed by moss.

The faint glow of the mana stones embedded in the walls pulsed, washing the place in a ghostly blue light.

Somewhere in the distance, dripping water echoed… slow… endless.

Their eyes drifted back to Koko.

"So… you living here alone?" Ahrie asked, breaking the silence.

"Ah—no," Koko replied softly. "I used to be in a Link."

"Oh? Where are they now?" Min asked, crouching slightly.

Koko's eyes dulled. She raised her arm and pointed deeper into the ruins.

"There."

Ahrie and Min followed her gaze—

and froze.

Bones.

Dozens of them, scattered across the cold floor — armor rusted, weapons fused with the dirt.

The remnants of a fight long forgotten.

"…Well, damn," Min muttered, scratching his neck.

He glanced at the pile of bones.

"Guess team meetings got real quiet after that."

Ahrie blinked, half a grin tugging at his face. "Bro—too soon."

Koko let out a snort mid-sip. "You're going to hell for that one."

Then silence—before all three broke down laughing, the sound echoing through the ruin

Ahrie's laugh faded first… he exhaled sharply through his nose, trying to keep things light.

He turned toward the wreckage of their carriage, its wooden frame splintered beyond saving.

He started rummaging through it— pieces of fabric, broken glass, twisted metal.

Then—a faint clink.

A few potion bottles, cracked but intact.

"…At least something survived," Ahrie sighed,

"How long have you been here?" Ahrie asked, untangling the horse from the wreckage.

Koko tilted her head, thinking. "Dunno… a week or so? And before you ask where the exit is—yeah, I don't know that either."

Ahrie sighed and stood up, brushing dirt off his hands. After collecting whatever scraps survived, he, Min, and the horse turned to face what was left of their carriage.

They stood in silence for a moment.

"Farewell," Ahrie muttered.

"Gone too soon," Min added.

The horse neighed softly, like a final goodbye.

The three of them wiped invisible tears.

Koko giggled behind them. "You guys are mourning a cart?"

Ahrie pointed at her. "That cart carried our dreams, woman."

Min nodded solemnly. "And our snacks."

Koko just shook her head, smiling as she fell in step behind them. Together, they slowly made their way through the ruins.

Deeper inside? Surfacing outside?

No one freaking knew.

Each corridor split into another, leading them past crumbling rooms and dust-choked halls.

An old-ass kitchen—pots half-melted, vines crawling up the counters.

An old-ass training ground—broken weapons still scattered across the floor like someone rage-quit centuries ago.

"Is this from an old kingdom or something?" Min asked, brushing moss off a rusted helmet.

"Yeah…" Ahrie muttered, scanning the faded banners on the wall. "Kinda looks like it."

Koko trailed behind, sipping from her teacup again. "If it is, their interior decorator deserved execution."

They stepped into a massive, suspiciously fancy-looking room—pillars cracked, air thick with dust.

Creeeeak.

Everyone's heads turned.

A skeleton sat in the center, perfectly still—cross-legged like some kind of martial master farming enlightenment points.

Ahrie and Min froze.

"Shiiiii… bro is aura farming…" Min whispered.

The skeleton suddenly stood up.

It unsheathed the blade at its waist, spun it in a series of unnecessarily flashy tricks, and ended in a dramatic stance.

"Bro is definitely aura farming," Min added, dead serious.

Without missing a beat, Ahrie, Min, and Koko started clapping.

"Woooo!" "Let's gooo!" "Show us more!"

The skeleton froze… then awkwardly bowed left and right, clearly flustered.

It posed again—this time even cooler, it had an audience to impress.

Koko whispered, "We're really out here hyping up a corpse."

Ahrie shrugged. "Simpleton."

"Is it gonna attack?" Min whispered, tightening his grip on his knife.

"Eh?... why are you gripping a knife… you're a tank right." Koko was confused.

"Nah…" Ahrie squinted. "Bro's weapon is—wait… is that a broom?"

The skeleton gave them one last dramatic pose… then turned around and started sweeping the floor.

The three just stood there, dumbfounded.

"…He's really cleaning," Koko muttered.

They quietly backed out of the room.

"Let the bud do his thing…" Ahrie whispered.

Back in the hallway, they resumed their hopeless search for an exit.

Every turn led to another hallway, another dead end, another set of doors leading nowhere.

"Where's the goddamn exit!" Min groaned, his voice echoing through the ruins.

Instead of an exit, they found a cluster of small, squishy green slimes hopping around.

Koko's eyes lit up. "OHH, potential recruits!"

She crouched down, smiling like a kindergarten teacher. "Hey there little guys—"

Before she could finish, Ahrie and Min were already slapping the slimes like they were whack-a-moles.

"EXP farm!" Ahrie shouted.

"Don't steal my kills!" Min yelled back.

Koko screamed, "STOP! YOU'RE RUINING MY SUMMONING CHANCES!"

The slimes started trembling—then sizzling.

"Ow—what the hell?!" Ahrie yelped, jerking his hand back. His palm smoked slightly.

Min hissed through his teeth. "They're acidic now?! That's cheating!"

Koko blinked, watching them flail in pain. Then she grinned—

"Guess that's what you get for slapping them."

She turned back to the slime she was trying to recruit and smiled sweetly.

"So, how about it? You join me and—"

She froze.

The slime was gone.

"Uh… guys?"

A low bubbling sound echoed through the corridor.

All the tiny slimes around them began to shudder, melting into one another—

forming one massive, wobbling, translucent blob that filled the narrow path.

"Ah… hell."

Ahrie, Min, Koko, and even the horse stared up at the towering slime now blocking their way back.

"Run."

No one argued.

They bolted, the ground quaking behind them as the slime surged forward, swallowing torches, rubble, and bones in its path.

"WHY IS IT FASTER THAN BEFORE?!" Min screamed.

"CUZ THEY'RE PISSED AT YOU.." Ahrie laughed..

"YOU HIT THEM FIRST!" Min replied.

"YOU GUYS ARE THE REASON THIS THING EXISTS!" Koko shrieked.

Even the horse neighed in agreement as they sprinted for their lives.

Koko shouted, "Glyph!"

A faint blue interface flickered into existence before her eyes

She gritted her teeth, raised her hand, and yelled—

[SUMMON!]

A burst of white light flashed around her—

Then cracked apart like shattered glass.

Summoning failed.

"FUCK—Not now, please!" she screamed, desperation slicing through her voice.

She stomped her foot, sweat rolling down her temple.

[SUMMON!]

The air rippled—then fizzled out.

Summoning failed.

"COME ON—WORK, YOU USELESS PIECE OF—"

Ahrie sprinted beside her, thrusting a half-cracked mana potion into her hand.

"Drink, quick!"

Koko chugged it, mana surging back.

She raised her hand again, trembling.

[SUMMON!]

Nothing but a weak flicker of light.

Summoning failed.

Again.

[SUMMON!]

Another failure.

Her voice cracked as she screamed one last time—

[SUMMON!]

A flash of light burst from Koko's glyph—bright enough to make everyone squint.

Then… a tiny creature landed in front of them with a plop.

"…Is that a—"

"A squirrel," Min said flatly. "She summoned a fucking squirrel."

Koko's eyes sparkled like she'd just birthed a god. "He's perfect!"

The squirrel squinted back at Min, its nose twitching. What about it, huh? Got a problem with squirrels?

"Oi—do something!" Ahrie barked, pointing at the massive slime oozing closer behind them.

The squirrel blinked once… then facepalmed. It squeaked furiously, waving its tiny arms like, Bro, you see that thing?!

Then it raised a paw and straight-up flipped them off.

"What can you even do?!" Koko asked.

The squirrel lifted a single finger again—this time a "wait a sec" gesture—then darted off, collecting small rocks from the ground.

Pfft. "It's collecting rocks," Min said between wheezes of laughter. "Yeah, we're saved… everyone relax."

But as the squirrel scampered, its foot slipped—

Thunk.

A pebble shot off, bouncing wall to wall like a cursed pinball until—

CRACK—CRUMBLE!

A weakened pillar gave way, and a chunk of ceiling collapsed behind them—burying the pursuing slime completely.

Silence. Dust.

Ahrie, Min, Koko, even the horse… all turned to look at the squirrel.

The little bastard blinked. Looked at the pile. Then slowly puffed out its chest, smug as hell.

"…Okay," Min said, wiping his face. "I take it back. He's perfect."

Ohh would you look at that… the exit," Min pointed at a faint light above the rubble.

They climbed their way up, slipping through cracks and roots until—fresh air hit their faces.

Finally, outside.

"My legs can't take it anymore…" Koko groaned, slumping to the ground.

The horse lowered itself beside her with a tired snort.

"Are you… saying I can sit there?" she asked.

The horse gave a slow, dramatic nod.

"Thank you," Koko said with a small smile.

Ahrie and Min exchanged looks, glaring at the horse.

"This useless horse…" they muttered in unison.

The horse jerked its head back defensively. Hold up—hold up! I can't lift both your dumbasses, that's why I never let you ride me!

They both smacked its head anyway.

"Whew… what a day," Ahrie sighed.

"Which way now?"

"That way," Koko pointed down the dirt road. "Head straight to the capital."

"Then that's where we're going."

Koko lifted her tiny companion. "I'll call you… hmm… Rocky!"

The squirrel raised a paw like a soldier being promoted.

"By the way, what's this horse's name?" Koko asked.

Ahrie and Min looked at each other.

Then at the horse.

"…Useless Horse."

"Pathetic Horse," Min added.

Koko squinted. "Is it a he or a she?"

Min walked behind the horse and lifted its tail—

THWACK! The horse kicked him straight into a bush.

Min groaned. "Doesn't have balls… so, yeah. A girl."

Koko laughed, brushing dust off her sleeves. Then she turned toward the direction of the hidden cameraman—

"Alright then! The first one to comment decides her name!" she said, waving at the invisible audience.

Ahrie blinked. "Who the hell is she talking to?"

"Dunno, bro," Min shrugged.

And just like that, the four and a half of them—Healer, Tank, Summoner, a Squirrel and Useless Horse—headed straight toward the capital.

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