Finding Hideout

Shiori woke to the faint glow of sunlight leaking through the thin curtains of her hotel room. The events of the previous night still lingered in her mind—the soldier's words, Ren's calm explanations, and the heavy truth that their classmates might already be gods in this strange world.

She slowly sat up, brushing her crimson hair back, then dragged herself toward the small wooden bath chamber. The water was warm but refreshing. When she finally emerged, she took extra time adjusting her clothes and tidying her hair. For once, she allowed herself to look... presentable, not just like the cold, untouchable girl she often pretended to be.

When she stepped into the hall area, she spotted Ren. He was sitting on a long couch in the waiting hall, his posture straight, his eyes half-lidded as though he'd been awake for hours. A faint steam rose from the cup of tea in his hand.

Shiori approached with a small smile. "Good morning, Ren."

Ren lifted his gaze. "Good morning... but why so late?"

She puffed her cheeks slightly, embarrassed. "Because... girls need more time to get properly ready."

Ren gave a faint sigh, though not unkind. "I see.”

They left the hotel together, their boots clicking lightly against the wooden floor, until they reached the quiet street outside. The town was still tense, whispers and worried faces on every corner, but Ren ignored it. Instead, he reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a crystal pendant with an elegant silver chain.

Shiori's eyes widened, and her face flushed pink. "W-what? You're... giving me jewelry? A pendant?"

Her voice trembled with a mix of surprise and shy emotion.

Ren held it out calmly. "This isn't jewelry. It's a special item. It hides your true mana. Right now, we're only passing through small towns without a proper mage presence. But in the future... when we encounter real mages, they'll be able to sense our mana levels instantly. If they report that information with someone's... it could expose us.”

Shiori looked down at it, her lips parting slightly. ‘He gave me something so precious, just to hide my mana level.’She held her wrist tightly, warmth spreading in her chest. "Thank you, Ren..." she whispered softly, her face still red.

Ren didn't notice her thoughts. Instead, he leaned back casually. "Tell me, Shiori-what's your current level?"

"Level 68," she answered quickly. "And yours?"

Ren's lips curved faintly. "Only 49.”

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Why is your level so low?! We've fought side by side, and you're stronger than me... This doesn't make sense.”

Ren shook his head. "During the trial period in the game, while others focused on leveling, I spent my time searching for rare magic items, scrolls, and artifacts. I sacrificed experience points for treasures. That's why my level is low." He looked at her seriously. "But it doesn't matter. I'll raise it when the time is right.”

Shiori said, “ Ooh… That means you need more experience for fast leveling.

Ren said, “ I have a proper plan to increase my level quickly.”

After a short silence, she asked, "Then why are we heading to an empty street? A dead end?"

Ren's gaze sharpened. "Because I have a plan... and someone I need to meet.”

He pulled out a teleported scroll from his inventory. Shiori tilted her head, confused. "Another teleport scroll?"

Ren smirked slightly. "Yes. This one isn't for escaping... it's for traveling."

Before she could ask more, the scroll burst into light. A light of blue-white mana engulfed them, and in a blink, the town vanished.

They reappeared in a vast mountain range. The air was colder, sharp against their skin, and a thin veil of snow coated the jagged cliffs. The peaks pierced the sky, crowned with frost, while clouds drifted lazily below them. Shiori wrapped her cloak tighter, shivering as her breath came out in faint mist.

"This place..." she whispered, gazing at the endless white ridges. "It feels so far from everything.”

The mountain climate is very chilled and cold winds are waving all around. And the mountain scenery is beautiful and calm.

Ren reached into his coat and pulled out a small metallic compass. The item gleamed faintly in the morning light, its needle glowing with a pale blue aura. Unlike a normal compass, its tip didn't point north-it trembled slightly, always pulling toward a fixed direction as though drawn by an invisible thread.

Shiori leaned forward, her crimson eyes curious. "Ren, what is that?"

Ren held the compass in his palm, watching the needle steady itself. "This isn't a regular compass. It shows me the location of certain peoples. A while ago, I saved a girl during the trial period. I gave her an item and one of the items told me the girl's location. So , that compass helped me to direct the girl 's location.

Shiori blinked in surprise. "So it's like... a tracking relic?”

Ren gave a faint nod. "Yes. It can't be used for just anyone-it's tied to that item. That's why it works." His eyes narrowed slightly. "And if the compass leads to her... then maybe she's still alive, and I can find her.”

Shiori's expression softened. "I see... you really saved a lot of people in the trial, huh?" She smiled a little, but her voice carried a faint trace of guilt. "Meanwhile, I was too busy running around fighting people..."

Ren shrugged. "Everyone has their own way of surviving." He then handed her a small gesture of trust-extending his hand toward her shoulder. "But Shiori, from now on, will call me by my in-game name. Not everyone should know who I am in reality. It's safer if my true identity stays hidden.”

Shiori blinked, then smiled shyly. "Okay... Isro." The name rolled softly off her tongue, as though she was testing it.

Isro said. " Thank you Shiori.”

The two of them followed the direction of the compass through the cold mountain paths. The air grew sharper the higher they climbed, each breath leaving a white snow in the air. Snow clung to the edges of jagged rocks, and the wind flowed between peaks, yet the needle continued to guide them forward.

Suddenly, the sound of chittering broke the silence. Shiori's ears twitched as she turned. Out from the snowy trees emerged a group of monsters-grotesque humanoid creatures with the bodies of grasshoppers. Their long, thin limbs twitched unnaturally, and their green chitin reflected the dull light of the crimson moon. Their mandibles clicked as they charged forward.

Shiori instantly moved in front of Isro, her crimson aura igniting. "Leave it to me, Isro”

When she lifted her hand, red flames erupted, moving and condensing into a fiery ball. "Crimson Blaze!" The fire exploded outward in a wave, swallowing the insect-like creatures with a sharp thrust. As their bodies caught fire and quickly turned to ash, the monsters let out a terrible screech.

The snow around them hissed from the sudden heat, leaving black scorch marks on the ground.

Isro lowered his eyes to the ashes, frowning slightly. Grasshopper-type monsters? Here? His thoughts lingered. They shouldn't exist in this kind of climate. This is a mountain region-it's too cold for their species. Something's wrong.

But he stayed silent, deciding not to burden Shiori with his suspicions yet.

After wiping her work,  Shiori turned with a proud smile. "All clear.”

Ren gave a small nod. "Good work." He glanced again at the compass, its needle still glowing brightly, tugging toward a direction further ahead. "Let's keep moving."

They continued climbing until they reached the top of a small ridge. From there, the view opened wide. Below the hill, nestled in a valley, was a small village. Smoke curled gently from chimneys, and faint orange lights flickered in windows, giving the illusion of warmth amidst the cold mountain air.

Shiori's eyes lit up. "A village! Finally, we found it.”

Isro adjusted his grip on the compass and stared down at the village. So... she's there. He slipped the compass back into his inventory.

Ren didn't answer immediately. His gaze was steady, serious. Villages in isolated regions always carried secrets-especially in this world. But finally, he exhaled, shoulders relaxing slightly.

"Alright," he said calmly. "Let's go."

Together, they descended the snowy slope, heading toward the hidden village in the valley-the next step in their unpredictable journey.

But unknown challenges and dangers awaited them in that quiet village.