"…I don't think I owe anyone an explanation," Ren said, his voice quiet but carrying a weariness laced with determination. "I don't usually make excuses for the things I've done. But maybe... it's time I learn to take responsibility for my choices."
His words felt like a whisper to himself, yet they echoed clearly in the stillness around them.
He glanced briefly at the blue-haired leader, the gaze lasting only a moment before drifting back to the battlefield that had just fallen silent. "I didn't mean to ignore your warning… it's just that we can't always live by reason alone."
The leader continued to watch him. The reproach in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by something gentler, understanding, perhaps, tinged with encouragement. "Then… make sure those choices don't drag you down too far."
Ren didn't respond. But his eyes wavered slightly, as though the words had struck something deep within him.
The space between them turned quiet, as if the moment had gone beyond a simple exchange of words.
Feeling like a discordant note in the overture of a grand symphony, Ren parted his lips, meaning to say something to bridge the newly formed gap.
But before any words could leave him, another voice cut through, cold, confident, and tinged with arrogance:
"The weak should know where their limits lie."
That voice rang through the rough stone corridor, sharp as a blade that struck without warning. Ren paused slightly, his gaze slowly shifting toward the source of the voice.
A young man with deep brown hair stood tall and straight, clad in dark, lightweight leather armor. His eyes pierced straight into Ren, openly assessing him, with a hint of disdain behind them.
"Diving this deep with a group that's barely coordinated, and ignoring warnings?" he scoffed. "That's not bravery. That's playing games with other people's lives."
Yuna and Nautilus, though a distance away, turned their heads immediately at the sound. Yuna's brows furrowed slightly, while Nautilus silently placed a hand on his sword's hilt, his eyes narrowing as though weighing his options.
And yet, neither of them moved. They didn't step forward, didn't speak up.
Because they knew, harsh and arrogant as those words were, they held an undeniable truth.
The decision to enter the mine hadn't been Ren's alone.
Had it not been for them, for their silent agreement, Ren would never have stepped into such danger so soon.
They had no choice… or at least, that's what the three of them had believed.
But what Ren had done afterward, the way he coldly pushed forward, disregarding the safety of others, leaving them behind, that, they couldn't forgive so easily.
The blue-haired leader frowned slightly, his gaze shifting as if preparing to speak and ease the rising tension.
"All right, that's enough." A new voice emerged, gentler, not raised, yet powerful enough to temporarily freeze the growing unease in the air.
It came from another young man within the group of four.
He was of average height, with short, tousled brown hair that looked naturally unkempt, as though it required no effort.
His outfit was designed for agility, suited for swift combat, light armor, paired with a shield and sword, much like the leader. His gaze held no judgment, only thoughtful consideration.
"We're underground, surrounded by Kobolds. This isn't the time to argue about who should or shouldn't be here," he said, his eyes sweeping across the group before landing on Ren. "He's alive. And being alive means fighting."
A moment of silence followed.
The young man nodded slightly, not smiling, but his voice had softened. "And from what I saw earlier… he's not just surviving."
"I agree with Shivata. He's right," the team leader added, glancing at those around him before continuing.
His voice was clear and commanding, drawing everyone's attention. "Overestimating yourself is bad. But not having the courage to stand up and fight? That's worse."
He lowered his gaze to Lind...the one who had spoken arrogantly before, and continued, "Do you remember our original goal when we formed this group, Lind?"
"We wanted to inspire hope in the people trapped here," he said, now addressing not just Lind but the entire group, ensuring everyone understood the gravity of his words.
"We need to show them that by defeating the first floor boss, we can beat this game. That we're not helpless victims...but fighters who can win."
The entire cavern seemed to brighten slightly, though it may have been an illusion.
If any light had truly appeared, it came from the ideals he carried, illuminating the darkness around them.
The players in his group looked reinvigorated, as if his words had rekindled something inside them.
In that moment, light returned to Yuna's eyes as well, a spark of resonance, of shared purpose she had finally found.
That brief sense of connection seemed to bloom, filling the air with sudden, unexpected hope.
But Ren remained motionless, a solitary shadow in a space slowly filling with light.
That light wasn't meant for him. That ideal, however noble, didn't belong to him. It was too radiant, too distant, too foreign...so much so that it made his chest tighten with weight.
Leaving this place? Beating the game? Ren had never really thought about it. He just wanted to survive. Or perhaps, he was just trying to escape.
And then, as his gaze silently drifted over Yuna and Nautilus, he distinctly felt something cracking, a distance as thin as a thread, but cold enough to cut through to the bone.
Something… was quietly separating them from him.
"Don't take what Lind said to heart. He's a bit... sharp-tongued, but he's a good guy... well, sort of," Shivata stepped closer, offering a polite smile and gently patting Ren on the shoulder, intending to ease the tension.
But that gesture, though meant kindly, only made things worse, and Ren felt even more despondent.
The kinder you were, the easier it was for others to feel like a burden.
He didn't say anything, just nodded slightly, as though he had heard. But his gaze remained fixed on the rough ground beneath him, where the footprints were imprinted like a constant reminder.
Lind's eyes, at that moment, scanned the three of them: Yuna, Nautilus, then lingered on Ren for a long while.
That gaze didn't need to be spoken. It was enough to tear apart the fragile armor of resilience Ren wore. Normally, he didn't care about how others viewed him.
But… the time spent with Yuna and Nautilus, though short, had been enough to change him, even if just a little.
Just a little, and yet it made the feeling of being pushed to the sidelines more bitter than ever.
Not allowed to stand beside them. Not allowed to be called a teammate. And there was no specific reason to justify that.
He had seen the battle. Seen Yuna turn and attack with precision, seen Nautilus with his steady and sharp fighting style.
And Ren? He didn't fight. He was just a shadow behind, waiting for everything to end before stepping out. A parasite, in Lind's eyes, surely.
A cold grunt escaped from Lind, and he turned away, no longer caring.
And that, that silent contempt, hurt more than any reproachful words.
Ren glanced at Yuna and Nautilus. They were still standing there, not far from him… but it felt like they were in a different world.
Yuna knew he was watching. Her shoulders stiffened slightly, but her gaze remained ahead. She didn't turn back. She didn't answer.
Nautilus nodded, very slightly, as if in acknowledgment… or maybe as a sign that he understood. But that was it.
Ren wanted to say something. An explanation, or at least a call.
But his throat tightened, and no sound could escape.
Then, a clap of hands rang out, pulling him out of the thick fog of his thoughts.
"Alright, everyone," the leader's voice rang out, still calm but with authority, "we're leaving this mine. It's already getting late."
He scanned the group with a gaze not too stern but clearly that of someone accustomed to responsibility.
"But before that," he continued, "we should introduce ourselves. We can't fight together without knowing each other's names, right?"
"I'll go first." The young leader stepped forward half a step, his chest slightly puffed out as if to make himself more visible to the group.
"My name is Diavel. If there's such a thing as a class in this game, I guess I'd best fit the title of 'knight.'"
He lightly patted his chestplate, smiling softly, not arrogantly, but with something… confident.
"And this is Lind," he nodded towards the dark-haired young man standing behind, his eyes scanning briefly before not lingering. "A good fighter... though sometimes a bit blunt."
The comment made Lind raise an eyebrow slightly, but he didn't respond.
Only now did Ren notice, Diavel and Lind's hairstyles were somewhat similar. He looked into Lind's eyes, and for a moment, a flicker of admiration flashed in the indifferent gaze.
'Is he trying to follow Diavel's style?', Ren wondered.
"Next to him is Shivata," Diavel continued, glancing at the young man with messy brown hair. "Calm, reliable, and the one who keeps the group balanced, both in combat and when arguing."
Shivata merely shrugged lightly, as though accustomed to that half-joking, half-serious introduction.
"And last," Diavel said, turning to the person quietly checking their supplies behind him, "is the one always ready with supplies, timely aid, and never lets anyone down, Chest."
The young man named Chest jumped slightly, nodding quickly. "Uh, hey everyone. Just ask if you need anything."