The hall remained shrouded in a dim light, faintly illuminated by the glow of the lamps. Kael and Maki were nowhere to be seen. Garron still sat in his stone couch, unmoving. I found myself wondering just how long he'd been alive—possibly longer than the old man, though he appeared no older than me, maybe a couple of years. He seemed shorter than me, something I hadn't noticed before, but I realized I had grown taller. Much taller. Nearly as tall as Rob, pushing 195 cm. The thought quickly gave way to another, darker one: what were the chances that Dan was still alive?

"Don't stare at him too much," Zara's voice cut through my thoughts. She was to the side, rolling up a mattress and tidying up a table and chair.

"So, about the food?" I asked.

"Oh, don't worry, the two went to get some coins."

"Coins?" I repeated, not quite grasping the concept.

She dusted off her hands, rising from her work. "Coins are the legitimate currency of the Game. You can still have your own currency in your own city within this game, but to buy anything from the in-game shop or participate in the auction, you need game coins."

"And how do you get those?" I asked.

"By leveling up, which we haven't done, or by defeating or killing enemies. You can even sell physical objects to the game, which might fetch you some coins."

She walked over to a stone that lay near the wall and held it in her palm, showing it to me. At first, nothing happened, but then the stone began to pixelate, disintegrating into nothing.

"You got coins for that?" I asked, intrigued.

"Of course not," she smirked. "I sold it for free. I got zero coins. But that's how the selling mechanism works."

"And to buy?" I inquired further.

Without missing a beat, she held her palm out again. This time, out of thin air, an apple materialized in her hand. "I spent three coppers for this," she said, tossing the apple my way. "That's your breakfast for today."

I caught it, eyeing her as she headed for the door, a smile playing on her lips. I wasn't sure if she was joking or serious. Despite my best efforts to act clueless and keep up the nice-guy front, a smug grin crept onto my face. I had high hopes for the food, and to be honest, level zero had better meals.

As I bit into the apple, I couldn't help but question whether coming here was the right decision. It had to be the right choice, but now I was left alone with a guy who could've been older than Vincent himself.

I knew where the three had gone: to the underground base at the foot of the mountain. I wasn't entirely sure what they had stashed down there, but I had a pretty strong hunch. They'd likely scavenged all sorts of things over the years, waiting to sell them when the market's value peaked. From what I'd gathered, you could probably sell a bottle of water for gold if you timed it right. For instance, if a sudden drought hit this level and water became scarce, once all the water in the market was gone, you could make a fortune selling your own stock. But, of course, it was a gamble—there was always the chance you'd end up with a shortage yourself.

I felt confident in my understanding of how this game worked, but the gaping hole in my plan was that the rune wasn't truly mine. Without ownership, I couldn't access the in-game tabs and console, and those were vital. I sat on the floor, the apple still in my hand, thinking. This very apple was probably sacrificed by some guy on the opposite side of this world, all for a few copper coins.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the rune. In the dim light, it looked dull, barely visible in the shadowy room. I could sell this, maybe even for golds. Sure, I couldn't access the market myself, but I could ask Zara to sell it for me and pass along the coins. With those coins, I could get a rune I could actually use. It was the only solution I had come up with so far.

But there was something bothering me about it. The rune had appeared to me while I was asleep. Even if it didn't obey me, it had clearly chosen to trust me to hold onto it until its real owner came along. Or maybe the owner would show up once I died. There were endless possibilities, none of them certain. But the path for my survival in this game was clear: I had to sell it.

I held the rune close to my chest, feeling its faint warmth, its steady pulse. It was very much alive, and there was this strange connection between us. As if fate had tied me to bear it until the true rune holder arrived.

"Guess I'll wait a little longer," I whispered, pressing the stone to my heart.

Time had slipped by without me realizing I had fallen asleep. I woke up to Maki's face hovering inches from mine, flashing her usual cheerful grin—not the unsettling smile from the other night, when she casually described her atrocities.

"Let's go shopping," she chirped.

I brushed her aside, trying to clear my vision. The guy on the couch—Garron—was gone. Maki was crouched at my side, while Zara and Kael stood nearby. Kael didn't look particularly excited about the "shopping trip." In fact, he seemed upset, though I couldn't tell if it was because of the trip itself or the fact that they were dragging me along.

"What shopping? Where?" I asked, still disoriented.

They exchanged confused looks before Zara smirked. "Oh, I see. I didn't explain the map of this world to you."

That made sense. I had no idea about the geography of this level. After spawning in the forest and being brought into the mountain, I had no clue about the surrounding terrains.

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"Just like the few kingdoms in Level 0," Zara began, but Kael's expression soured even further. He wasn't hiding his displeasure now. "In this level, there's a town. But unlike the kingdoms, this place is massive. More like a small country." Her grin widened. "Rumor has it that there are a few others out there, but not many have ventured far enough to see them. This city is protected by an enormous wall, built by rune holders, that divides the forest and the other natural terrains. And on the other side of the wall…" She paused for dramatic effect, her eyes gleaming. "Lies the Cybercity."

Cybercity? My interest piqued instantly. Just like the games I used to play.

"How did they build a 'cyber' city? Isn't technology rare in this game?" I asked.

Zara scoffed. "Boy, you clearly have no idea about the possibilities with a rune." She pointed at my hand. "You've got electricity, even if yours doesn't work. There's electricity, stone, minerals, wind, water, metals, the will of the forests, and all the other deviants. With all these runes, how could building a cyber city not be possible?"

She had a point. But there was one nagging thought in my mind. She didn't even know what video games were, so there was no way she could fully grasp what a cyber city should look like. For all I knew, some random guy could've thrown together a village and slapped the name on it based on what little knowledge he had from his world.

"So, who built the city—or at least named it?" I asked.

She put a finger to her chin, looking thoughtful. "I don't know."

"It's Rynok," Kael interrupted, even though he looked like he'd rather not be talking.

"Who was he?" I asked.

Kael let out a heavy sigh, clearly irritated. "I don't really want you tagging along, but I guess you're as clueless as they come. Rynok was one of the first people to pass Level 1. Before he did, he built this vast city. His rune wasn't confirmed, but people think it was metallic. He's the one who named the city 'Cybercity.'" He gave me a pointed look, narrowing his eyes. "Zara isn't from our world, and she doesn't know a thing about technology. And yeah, I can see you're wondering if this place is really a cyber city by your standards. I don't know whether your time period was ahead of mine or behind, but if you're thinking of what shows and movies depict as a cyber city, then yes, this place fits the bill. Now stop asking stupid questions and answer: are you coming with us or not? Because if you're not, we'll have to kick you out into the forest since we can't leave you here with Garron gone."

I nodded. "But where is Gar—"

Before I could finish, Kael's slicing glare shut me up. No more questions, I guessed. I had no choice now.

"Well, I guess I'll have you guys buy me something that's not an apple," I muttered, pushing myself to my feet.

We walked through the forest, the damp earth soft beneath our feet and the dry canopy above casting long shadows. One thing I'd learned was that these guys usually went hunting for Nyu after sunset. The logic behind it was simple: most fights broke out after noon, and they believed they had a better chance of catching someone off guard in the dark.

The strategy, however, hadn't been particularly fruitful. In the 33 years they'd been here, it had only worked four times. The victims they'd managed to ambush were far below them on the leaderboard, which meant they couldn't squeeze much Nyu out of them. Solid strategy on paper, sure, but its lack of success was largely due to the presence of the Cybercity.

The rulers of that city—the top players of this level—were a force to be reckoned with. Six of them were in the top ten on the leaderboard, making them stronger than anyone I'd met so far—except for Garron. He ranked third, though from what I gathered, he didn't even bother trying to climb higher. Violence was strictly forbidden within the city, unlike in the kingdom. We could use our runes freely inside, but only as long as they weren't intended to harm others. That rule alone kept the peace.

Despite surpassing the threshold for promotion to the next level, the leaders of the Cybercity had chosen to stay, content with ruling this one. It gave them control, power, and stability. But anyone who dared leave the safety of the city walls was often ambushed by strong, organized parties waiting just outside.

The city itself wasn't terrible, though. It was like the kingdom but with advanced technology. People lived normal lives, raising families just like they did in the kingdom, only with modern conveniences. It made me wonder if they even had video games. I doubted it, but the thought amused me for a moment.

More importantly, though, I had to focus on my own needs. If this city was as advanced as it seemed, there had to be some way for me to get my hands on a rune. That was my priority. Without a rune I could actually use, I was stuck—vulnerable in this level's twisted hierarchy.

"How long until we reach the city?" I asked, breaking the silence as we weaved through the forest's undergrowth.

Zara glanced back at me, her face unreadable. "Not much longer. You'll see it when we hit the wall."

I nodded, focusing ahead. With each step, the thought of the Cybercity loomed larger in my mind. Maybe this was my chance to get what I needed—if I played my cards right.

But little did I know, my journey through this game was on the verge of ending far sooner than I had ever anticipated. The intricate webs of fate were already in motion, and the rightful owner of the World Element, the rune I unknowingly harbored, was about to be born inside that very city.

It was ironic, really. While I wandered aimlessly, trying to survive in this twisted realm, the true heir of the immense power I carried was waiting to emerge. It made me question everything—was my presence in this level just a brief chapter in someone else's story? A mere placeholder for the real protagonist to step into their role?

Each step I took towards the Cybercity, I unknowingly inched closer to that inevitable moment. The rune, warm and pulsing against my chest, felt more alive with each passing day—as if it, too, knew that its time with me was running out.

Whatever destiny awaited me beyond these walls, I could feel it closing in. And whether I liked it or not, my time here was almost up.

"Hey, what are you doing? You're being left behind. If you don't want to keep up, I'll be happy to kill you right here and end your misery," Kael shouted, his voice cold and sharp, cutting through the thick silence of the forest.

"Are you actually starting to care for the boy?" Maki laughed, her tone mocking as she threw a glance back at me.

"Try keeping up, boy," Zara called out, her voice a little softer than the others, though still carrying an edge of impatience. "These dry, twisted branches might make you lose your way. And what are you thinking about so intently anyway?"

A strange jolt surged through my body—from my toes all the way to the tips of my hair—leaving me momentarily paralyzed. "Huh? Uh... I don't remember," I stammered, wiping the sweat that had begun to gather on my forehead.

What was I thinking about a second ago?

It was as if the thought had slipped away, leaving nothing behind but a hazy void. The moment had vanished into thin air, like it had never existed. But the sensation—the creeping dread, the faint pulse of something far darker—still lingered. Something important, something that had briefly brushed the surface of my mind, had been erased, leaving me uneasy.

I could feel Zara's eyes on me, her gaze sharp as if she could sense something off, but I avoided her stare.

"I didn't think you could forget anything, boy," Kael muttered under his breath, his irritation evident.

I forced myself to move, falling back into step with the others. But even as we continued forward, my mind felt heavy, weighed down by a nagging suspicion that I'd missed something—something crucial. A single moment of clarity lost in the blur of my journey.

And now, all I had was a growing sense of foreboding that I couldn't shake.