The village plaza was even more crowded than when I'd left.
Players overflowed from the quest board and weapon stalls, shouting for party members, bartering over basic gear, comparing levels like trophies.
The early chaos of a new world.
It smelled like woodsmoke, sweat, and ambition.
I leaned against a shaded corner of the smithy and watched.
Not everyone moved with desperation.
A few — the smart ones — were already forming cliques. Small parties of three to five, grouped around charismatic players shouting instructions or laying out dungeon strategies.
"I need a healer! Hollowshade run, Normal Mode!"
"LF2M for sprite-hunting quest chain, fast clears only!"
"Buying extra potions — paying double!"
Most of them were casuals. Players excited to experience their first MMORPG, riding the launch hype.
But sprinkled among them?
Hard eyes.
Tight movements.
Efficient armor setups.
The lifers.
The future guild leaders, merchant princes, and empire builders.
I could see it already — the faint outlines of the future written into their early choices.
And I wasn't going to be left behind again.
I flicked open my inventory, double-checking my supplies.
[Inventory]
Reinforced Leather Tunic (Equipped) Sharpened Iron Shortsword (Equipped) 3 Minor Healing Potions 2 Minor Stamina Potions 3 Silver
Not much.
Barely enough to tackle a Level 5 dungeon even on Normal Mode.
But it would do — if I played smart.
My eyes drifted to the group I'd noticed earlier.
Rayne — the casual but friendly player who'd approached me after the SYSTEM announcement — was laughing with two others near the fountain.
His friends were well-equipped for beginners: decent leather armor, starter swords with early enhancements, basic shields.
Not a bad squad for Normal Mode.
They weren't future legends.
But they were solid.
Reliable.
Do I reach out? I thought.
Or do I go solo and risk it?
The part of me shaped by a lifetime of solitary grinding screamed to trust no one.
But the new part — the part determined to live smarter, live better — knew isolation was a death sentence here.
Especially once dungeons scaled up.
I opened my friends list — empty, naturally — and hovered over the "Add Friend" option for Rayne.
Before I could click, a shout broke through the chatter.
"Hey, Cross!"
I turned.
A player broke away from a nearby party and swaggered toward me.
Tall, cocky, all sharp grins and cheap leather armor dyed garishly red.
His username hovered above his head: Mace.
And he wasn't alone — two of his buddies flanked him, all smirking like they already owned the place.
"Big shot, huh?" Mace said loudly, drawing a few curious looks from the crowd. "First Clear bonus, all by yourself. Impressive."
His tone made it clear he didn't think so.
I kept my voice calm.
"Just playing the game."
He laughed.
"Sure, sure. Just wanted to say — don't get too comfortable. Hollowshade's our turf."
My eyebrow twitched.
"Turf?"
"Yeah," he said, leaning closer. "See, some of us are already planning guilds. Carving up the good spots before the sheep even know where to graze."
His friends chuckled.
I didn't move.
Didn't flinch.
Just smiled slightly.
"If you have to warn me," I said quietly, "you're already behind."
Mace's smile twitched.
For a second, the tension sharpened — like the snap of a drawn bowstring —
then he threw up his hands theatrically.
"Hey, just friendly advice. Would hate for a solo player to get... lost in the Caverns."
His buddies laughed again as they turned away, swaggering back toward their group.
I exhaled slowly.
The first PvP sparks had been lit.
No real fight yet — no SYSTEM-sanctioned duels or open-world bloodshed.
But it was coming.
In this world, respect wasn't given.
It was taken.
And I'd spent too many years in my last life starving for it.
This time, I would take it.
I opened the friends list again — and this time, without hesitation, sent a request to Rayne.
A few seconds later, a bright ping echoed.
[Friend Request Accepted: Rayne]
[Message Received: Yo! Good timing — we're forming up for Hollowshade. Need one more. You in?]
I smiled.
Sometimes, survival wasn't about being the strongest.
It was about being smart enough to pick the right battles — and the right allies.
[Message Sent: I'm in. Where do we meet?]
Within minutes, I was standing near the village west gate, watching Rayne and his two friends finish checking their supplies.
Rayne — dual-wielding daggers, leather armor, fast and reckless. Tessa — light spear user, sharp-eyed, already directing small tactics. Kale — tower shield and short sword, quieter, defensive stance natural as breathing.
A decent balance for a starter party.
Could we clear Hollowshade's Normal Mode?
If we were careful.
If we played smart.
If we trusted each other — at least for now.
Rayne grinned as I approached.
"Ready to make some history, Damien?"
I nodded once.
"Let's move."
The sun was low over the fields as we set off, casting long shadows across the rolling grasslands.
Ahead, beyond the gentle hills, the mouth of Hollowshade Cavern yawned like a wound in the earth.
A place of darkness.
A place of danger.
A place where legends began.
And this time, I wasn't walking into it alone.