PRSR | Chapter 11.1

The morning came without the arms that used to hold me or the fluffy ball of fur that would rest on my chest. Today was the day the final quest began.

Maybe I’d gotten too used to starting my day with Rio’s smile. Looking at the empty room made my heart feel strangely hollow. I had wanted to spend the last day of the Tutorial Field meaningfully with him…

“Well, I guess it became meaningful in another way.”

Though not the kind of meaning I wanted.

“…Let’s get up. A quest is a quest.”

Instead of sulking on the bed, I got up. I washed my face, mended the ripped button on my pajamas, and packed my things, all the while unable to shake thoughts of Rio from my head. I wanted to find him and ask what the problem was. If we had just fought it out, raising our voices and ending it cleanly, my chest wouldn’t feel this heavy. But I couldn’t do that.

Not when the final quest was just around the corner.

Not only were there too many eyes watching, but I was also worried about unexpected consequences. If Rio, being the soft-hearted guy he is, got distracted because of me and messed up the quest, it’d be a disaster. I can’t afford to gamble with this quest—it’s a matter of life and death.

“Let’s just deal with it when we’re back on Earth.”

We’d be seeing each other often enough anyway. I could figure things out then. Unless Rio decided he didn’t want to live with me anymore…

But seriously, the more I think about it, the more ridiculous this all seems. What’s the deal? If there’s a problem, shouldn’t we talk about it? Is running away all he can do? What, does he plan on never seeing me again?

“…What if he really never wants to see me again?”

That thought made my feet feel like lead. Even after I finished packing and got ready to leave, I found myself standing in front of the inn room door, hesitating.

Maybe I should just wait here until the quest is over. Once Rio clears the quest, I’ll be sent back to Earth regardless. If my absence helps him focus on the quest…

“Soul, hey.”

“Ah.”

One moment, I was deep in thought in my room, and the next, I found myself in front of the inn. Rio was standing there, waiting for me by a lamppost.

“Just like our first date…”

The memory of him waiting for me at the inn that day made the atmosphere between us feel even more awkward.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

My cold reply made Rio shuffle nervously around me. It almost hurt to see him care so much about my reaction, but… No, that’s not the point.

“Rio hasn’t changed one bit.”

Then maybe this is all a misunderstanding? Like when I thought he was interested in that little rat back in the harbor town. Maybe this is another situation where things went wrong because we didn’t communicate properly.

Holding onto a shred of hope, I turned to look at him.

“Rio, about yesterday—”

“Sorry about yesterday.”

Before I could finish, Rio spoke up. His already pale skin looked even paler, and his slightly furrowed expression made it clear he didn’t want to even think about what happened. My heart sank.

“I didn’t mean to leave you behind. I just… I didn’t mean it like that.”

Didn’t mean it like what? That he didn’t want to leave me behind? Or that he didn’t intend for things to go further than a kiss? His vague words frustrated me to no end.

“What are you trying to say? Speak clearly.”

“Well, I…”

“Good morning, Mr. Soul. And your lover.”

Our conversation was abruptly interrupted by Kim Myungseok, who appeared out of nowhere. Was it just my imagination, or did Rio actually look relieved that we’d been interrupted?

“I wanted to come greet you both earlier, but I didn’t expect you’d already be outside. As expected, you’re diligent.”

Diligent, my foot. I just couldn’t sleep and ended up leaving.

“Everyone’s waiting. Shall we head over?”

What’s this about being diligent when the others got up even earlier and are waiting for us? Is that a backhanded compliment or what?

…Calm down, Kang Soul. Kim Myungseok probably came with good intentions. It’s not fair to lash out just because I’m on edge. Calm down. But still, where the heck did Rio spend the night after running off like that?

“Judging by the starting point being the field, we suspect this quest might also be a monster wave.”

“Ah, right.”

“Last time, the wave mixed monsters already in the field with the new ones that swarmed in. It was a hassle. That’s why we’ve been clearing out the field in advance, both to make it easier and to help level up the Awakened.”

“Ah, okay.”

Kim Myungseok seemed intent on showcasing his decisiveness, judgment, and leadership skills, but when he didn’t get the reaction he wanted, he let out a bitter laugh and walked ahead, probably thinking I wanted some alone time with Rio.

“Soul.”

When the space next to me opened up, Rio quickly filled it.

“Can I… hold your hand like before?”

This hesitant attitude was already so unlike the Rio I knew.

Instead of answering right away, I looked up at him. No matter how long I stared at his anxious, handsome face, I couldn’t figure out what he wanted from me.

“If Rio wants to go back to being just a pet and owner… Could I even do it?”

In any normal relationship, breaking up would mean becoming strangers. But Rio and I were family. It wasn’t so simple to separate.

I turned my head forward and held out my hand. I couldn’t see Rio’s face, but the air on my left felt noticeably brighter. His large, warm hand wrapped around mine.

“At least Rio doesn’t hate me. That’s a relief.”

Even after everything, I was still thinking like this? I couldn’t believe myself.

“Just say it was some ridiculous push-and-pull tactic from a drama.”

Say you miscalculated the timing to push me away. That you thought I’d come running after you. That you didn’t expect me to react like this.

“…”

No matter how long I waited, Rio didn’t say anything. No words of affection, no confession of love.

In the end, we arrived at the quest location in silence. The Awakened were already clearing out the field of monsters as they awaited the start of the quest. When we first reached White Ridge, there had been seventeen Awakened. Now, only twelve remained.

“Some people are missing,” I remarked.

“Ah, they tried to level up too aggressively and… ended up with game over. It’s embarrassing, considering how much effort you two put in to get us all here safely.”

“Were the monsters in White Ridge that strong? Or… could it be because we wiped out all the monsters and left them with no chances to grow?”

“Not at all,” Kim Myungseok assured me. “If the two of you hadn’t stepped in, the number of Awakened who made it this far wouldn’t even be five. Sure, those who survived might’ve been higher level, but they wouldn’t have had the time to hunt in White Ridge. So, leveling up here in safety wouldn’t be much different from that outcome. Just look—see how stable they are while hunting now?”

As Kim Myungseok said, the Awakened had formed groups of five or six, skillfully taking on the high-level monsters of White Ridge. Their tactics were something unimaginable in environments like Tote Grove, where waves of monsters and unfavorable conditions overwhelmed them.

“The Tutorial might not have taught them how to handle large-scale battles or sudden ambushes, but developing combat instincts can be done once they’re back on Earth. What’s crucial in the Tutorial Field is leveling up, not honing battle skills. Everyone here is grateful to you and your… partner.”

I wanted to correct him and tell him that the tall, brooding guy standing next to me wasn’t just my “partner” but Rio. However, I didn’t bother. It wouldn’t matter while we were still holding hands.

“Well, I’ll go check on the other Awakened and make sure they’re prepared. You two can take your time to talk.”

I watched Kim Myungseok walk off, then turned back to Rio. Even though I’d shown interest in someone else’s words, Rio didn’t show his usual signs of jealousy. He only stared at me with an anxious gaze that drilled into me.

“…Soul.”

I wanted to know how he truly felt.

“Kang Rio, about yesterday—”

“Ten!”

Just as I opened my mouth, the booming voices of the Awakened counting down echoed across the field.

“Nine!”

“Eight!”

Like a New Year’s countdown, the numbers fell in reverse. Watching them, I realized the quest was about to begin.

“Is it already time…?”

Rio’s dark eyes briefly shifted away from me, likely catching sight of a notification window counting down the seconds in front of him.

“Seven!”

“Six!”

“…Let’s go to the quest.”

In the end, I chose the quest over our conversation. Not addressing things now would make everything even more awkward, but skipping the quest would mean my death.

The choice was obvious, yet it didn’t feel good. Prioritizing my life over improving my relationship with Rio left me with a strange mix of emotions.

“Three!”

“Two!”

“One!”

“Quest starting! Prepare yourselves!”

The Awakened drew their weapons, readying for battle. On the far end of the field, a massive dust storm began to rise—an enormous army of monsters charging toward us.

“The monsters are coming! Get into formation!”

“Stick to the strategy! No acting on your own!”

The Awakened moved quickly, seemingly prepared for such a scenario thanks to their experiences during previous waves. I glanced at Rio to gauge his reaction. Some Awakened clearly hoped he’d take charge and deal with the quest as he always did.

But instead of dashing into action, Rio remained still, glaring at the approaching monsters.

“Soul, look over there. A cave just appeared. It wasn’t there before.”

“A cave?”

I squinted, but all I could see was the thick dust storm and the growing wave of monsters closing in.

At that moment, a few Awakened shouted in unison.

“The Quest Window has been updated!”

“This quest is a boss monster raid!”

“A raid? Not a wave?”

“Yes! We need to break through the monster horde and enter the dungeon within three hours. If we fail to enter the dungeon…”

“Gasp…!”

The Awakened checking their updated Quest Windows paled in unison.

“If we fail, a dragon will escape the dungeon. The world will be destroyed in thirty minutes.”

The mention of a dragon froze everyone in place.

A dragon. Even for those unfamiliar with games or fantasy settings, it was universally recognized as the ultimate monster. While the term “raid” fit the idea of multiple people working together to take down a boss, a dragon felt far too overwhelming for a Tutorial Field.

“A… dragon…”

“No way! How do we even kill a dragon?”

“It’s been nerfed for the Tutorial!”

“It’s still a dragon!”

“Everyone, calm down!”

Before the panic could spread further, Kim Myungseok quickly stepped up to restore order.

“The dragon escaping and destroying the world in thirty minutes doesn’t mean we’ll all die. It means we’ll have a thirty-minute time limit to defeat it!”

As Kim Myungseok explained, the key aspect of the final quest was the time limit. The choice was simple: enter the dungeon and fight the dragon without a time limit, or fail to enter and face the dragon under a strict thirty-minute deadline.

As the initial chaos settled, the Awakened turned their eyes toward Rio.

“A dragon… They said it’s nerfed, right?”

“If it’s him, can’t he just take it out in one hit?”

“Honestly, we could just wait three hours outside the dungeon, and when the dragon comes out, he could punch it right in the nose…”

The quest’s intent—to push us into the dungeon—was quickly being twisted into a plan to rely solely on Rio’s power.

“Fine, let’s fight! If I’m going to die, I’d rather stare a dragon in the nostrils first!”

“Yeah, bring on the dragon!”

“We’ll worry about the dragon later! For now, let’s focus on getting into the dungeon! Positions, everyone!”