Chapter 4 - Before

In the depths of a silent wilderness, a party of adventurers moved steadily through the dense forest.

Leading the group was Akihara Touji, a firm and experienced leader who had faced countless perils in dangerous lands.

Beside him walked Kurosame Inei, the mage of the team.Calm and composed even in the most dire situations, with unmatched mastery over the arcane arts.

At the front line stood Minazuki Ryouka, the stalwart tank, carrying a massive shield and unshakable resolve to protect his companions.

Bringing up the rear was Yukihana Nozomi, the graceful healer, staff in hand, always ready to mend wounds and keep her allies alive.

They had just emerged from a dungeon, having completed their mission on the very night when festivities were in full swing outside.

Nozomi looked exhausted, her pace slowing as she clutched her staff. She grumbled under her breath.

“Why did we have to clear a dungeon tonight, of all nights, when everyone else is out celebrating?”

Inei glanced her way, a faint smile forming before he let out a small chuckle.

“If you’re complaining just because we missed the party, don’t blame anyone if our guild drops to second place tomorrow.”

Nozomi shot a sharp glance at Inei, her tone brimming with confidence.

“Besides, what guild could possibly overtake us after we’ve been holding the top spot for an entire month?”

She then walked slowly ahead toward Touji, turning her head as she asked:

“Isn’t that right, guild leader?”

Touji merely gave a faint smile at Nozomi’s words. He then began walking forward at a steady pace, replying calmly.

“Instead of wasting time complaining, we should get moving back to the city.”

Ryouka, who had been watching Nozomi’s antics the whole time, laughed and said as he walked casually:

“The leader’s right. Instead of wasting time complaining, you’d be better off using it to walk back to the city.”

Inei chuckled softly, then followed behind Ryouka and Touji.

Nozomi’s face immediately turned into a pout. She eventually started walking after the three of them, muttering under her breath again.

“Ahhh… why do I have to be stuck with rank-obsessed guys like these…”

They continued their march through the dense forest at night. The cold air bit at their skin, the rustling of leaves the only rhythm accompanying their journey.

Suddenly, Inei’s steps halted. His eyes narrowed, locking sharply onto something to his left.

“Touji… I sense a dragon’s presence over there.”

Touji, Ryouka, and Nozomi stopped as well.

Touji turned his gaze in the same direction Inei was looking, peering into the darkness between the trees.

“Dragon…?”

“How could there be a dragon outside of a dungeon?”

Nozomi glanced toward Touji and Inei, noticing how serious their expressions had become.

“Is this… a rare occurrence?”

Ryouka turned to her and explained in a careful tone.

“I’ve never heard of a dragon outside of a dungeon.”

“This might be the first time,a dragon has appeared out here.”

Nozomi looked at Ryouka, her face puzzled.

“So… what are we going to do?”

Inei’s gaze grew sharper toward the dragon’s position. His eyes narrowed further when he noticed someone sitting in front of the dragon, trembling in fear.

“Touji, this is bad… there’s someone over there.”

Touji shot a sharp look at Inei.

“Someone?"

"Is he fighting the dragon?”

With a grave expression, Inei shook his head.

“No… he’s just sitting there, terrified, staring at it.”

Touji turned his gaze back toward the spot Inei had indicated.

“Is he a beginner… or a summoner who accidentally called forth a dragon?”

Inei glanced back at him.

“Judging from his gear,a sword at his waist,he’s probably not a summoner.”

Ryouka stepped closer, giving Touji a light tap on the shoulder.

“So, what are you going to do, Leader?”

Nozomi looked at Touji, worry evident in her expression.

“Are we going to help him?”

Touji lowered his gaze, weighing his options.

“If he’s a beginner, his items will be lost when he dies.”

Slowly, his expression shifted, a grin forming on his face.

“I’ve never fought a dragon outside a dungeon… and this might just be a hidden event.”

He looked at the three of them.

“Stay here. I’ll be back after I kill that dragon.”

Without another word, Touji activated his speed skill and vanished into the darkness of the forest.

Ryouka chuckled at the sight of Touji disappearing just like that.

“Our leader… always deciding to run off on his own.”

Inei gave a faint smile in response.

“That’s just how he is."

"No wonder he’s the top player with the highest level in Japan.”

Nozomi’s face was marked with irritation, her lips curling into a pout.

“Instead of wasting time talking about our leader, we should be chasing after him right now.”

Touji could feel the dragon’s presence drawing nearer. He pushed his speed to the limit, sprinting through the forest’s darkness.

The moment the dragon came into view, Touji activated his body enhancement skill. In one swift motion, he swung his sword, the blade slicing through the air before severing the dragon’s neck.

The massive creature’s body crashed to the ground, sending dust and leaves scattering. Touji stood tall before its corpse, his expression flat.

“So this is all it had?"

"How boring.”

He then turned around and froze when he saw who was standing there.

“Ren?”

Ren stared back in shock, his eyes widening. The one who had just saved him was Touji, his old high school classmate.

“Touji…?”

Touji stared at Ren, his expression filled with confusion.

“What are you doing here? Weren’t you supposed to be in the royal capital, giving your speech?”

Ren lowered his gaze to the ground.

“Yes… I was supposed to be there.”

His tone shifted, his expression hardening.

“But…”

Touji narrowed his eyes, studying Ren closely before glancing at the dragon’s corpse behind them.

“Is this… some kind of sudden event you created?”

Ren turned his eyes toward the dragon, his gaze sharpening.

“No. This isn’t an event I made.”

Touji looked back at him, his voice now carrying a more serious weight.

“Then… what exactly happened that brought you here and face-to-face with this dragon?”

Ren slowly pushed himself up to his feet, his face still tense.

“Someone… tried to sabotage this year’s birthday celebration. Just like last year.”

He took a short breath before continuing.

“Out of nowhere, a swarm of impossible-rank monsters appeared right outside the royal walls.”

Touji frowned, trying to process the words.

“Sabotage?"

"Impossible-rank monsters?"

"How could anyone summon that many?”

Now standing upright, Ren pulled up his main menu and turned the screen toward Touji.

“I don’t know… but right before the monsters appeared, the settings button vanished.”

Touji stared closely at Ren’s menu, his expression shifting to shock when he saw the truth for himself.

“The settings… are gone?”

Instinctively, Touji summoned his own menu and his face hardened.

“Mine’s gone too…?"

"What is this supposed to mean?"

"Weren’t you the one controlling this world, Ren?”

Ren let out a heavy sigh, irritation flickering across his face.

“I’m no longer the master of this game.”

He opened the special developer panel, typing in his account credentials.Only for the system to reject him, a crimson warning flashing on the screen.

Touji’s eyes narrowed as he studied the sight. Ren turned the red screen toward him.

“For some reason… my access has been revoked."

"As if someone erased my name from the system’s command list.”

Touji stared at the crimson screen, flashing with a relentless Access Denied message.

“How is this possible…?"

"The creator’s own access being rejected by the system?”

Ren lowered his gaze, his voice quiet but heavy.

“I… don’t know. And this isn’t the only strange thing happening.”

The sound of snapping twigs came from the bushes. Ryouka, Inei, and Nozomi emerged, panting heavily after chasing him.

Nozomi glared at Touji, her face a mix of annoyance and exhaustion.

“You just decided to run off on your own, Touji!”

Touji turned toward them, speaking in his usual calm tone.

“You followed me, huh.”

Inei scoffed, clearly unsatisfied with that response.

“That’s all you have to say? We chased you down because we wanted to help, you know!”

Ryouka exhaled sharply, his eyes drifting toward the dead dragon lying on the ground.

Ren looked at Inei, Ryouka, and Nozomi one by one. His eyes focused on the beads of sweat running down their foreheads.

“I never programmed a sweat feature in this game.”

The three of them immediately turned to him, startled. It was only then they realized,the man standing before them was the very figure they had only ever heard about.

Nozomi instinctively pointed at Ren, her voice trembling.

“Y-you… you’re the developer of this game, aren’t you?”

Inei’s expression, which had been full of irritation moments ago, shifted into shock.

“Ka-Kagami Ren…!”

Ryouka, still puzzled, furrowed his brows.

“Wait… what is the developer of this game doing alone in the middle of a forest like this?”