Sword Art Online: Moonlight Swordman.

Ren pushed all his strength into his heels, launching himself backward, the ground beneath his feet nearly shattering.

A slash swept across, the silver blade of the Forest Elf tore through the thin leather armor on his chest.

Ren's leather armor, crafted from the thick hide of wolves, was one of the rare and most reliable light armors on the first floor.

And yet, it was torn apart by a blade as fine as silk, drawing a long gash across his chest.

The leather cracked and shattered into strips of pixelated dust, shifting from dark brown to silver, then dissolving into the air like severed butterfly wings, carried by the wind and vanishing as if they had never existed.

Ren gasped for breath.

The skin beneath the armor turned cold, beads of sweat forming even though his body was already numb from the impact.

And then... the worst thing he could imagine happened.His armor shattered completely, the tear stretching from his chest down to his leather boots.

A one-piece armor set could cover the entire body, integrating boots, pants, gloves, helmet, a convenient mechanism that now became a burden as Ren's naked body was exposed.

Dark red pixel fragments mixed with the faded dust of the old wolf hide, spinning in the air before vanishing like ash.

There was no time to hesitate.

Ren gritted his teeth, immediately grabbed the hem of his cloak, pulling it diagonally across his chest to cover his exposed body.

The dark fabric, stained with dust and the marks of a bygone era, now served as the final shield between him and the next blade.

If that sword had been just half a hand's width closer…

Just a little more, and his chest might have been sliced clean open, and his heart would never beat again.

Blood surged to his temples.

Breath short and ragged.

Each step back felt like death drawing closer.

Just one more strike.

One slip.

One moment of distraction...

And he would never rise again.

But just then, a blurry motion sliced through the air from behind the Forest Elf.

No warning sound.

No shout.

Only a sword stroke like a twisted moonbeam, slashing upward from behind, led by the graceful figure of the Dark Elf.

Whoosh.

The air hissed as it was split in two by the blade.

The Forest Elf barely managed to turn his head, just enough to glimpse death behind his neck.

"Damn it...!" he hissed, his legs freezing mid-step.

He thought he had Ren under control,thought the weak human would serve as a meat shield to help him escape.

But...

He was wrong.

And he realized that the moment the cold blade touched his neck.

Snap!

A dry, sharp sound, like a cord of fate being severed.

His head separated from his neck, spinning through the air. Golden hair fanned out, eyes still wide in shock, and the last thing he saw... was his own headless body, from above.

The corpse collapsed to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

It hit the ground with a dull thud, and immediately after, the body began to dissolve, pixel fragments rising and drifting into the cold air, as if his soul were returning to the mother earth.

The faint metallic scent of blood still lingered at the tip of the nose.

Ren took a deep breath, but before he could calm his breathing, a voice called out from behind:

"Phew... you're pretty tough, kid. Took a fatal hit and still alive? Looks like you're one of those rare types, lucky, or just damn hard to kill."

The Dark Elf stepped forward, sheathing his sword with a fluid motion. A slight smirk played on his lips, not clear whether it was admiration or just mockery.

"This guy was clumsier than the two who ambushed me a few minutes ago," he said, scratching the back of his neck like he was recounting a mundane story.

"And yet, who would've thought... he lasted the longest."

"Th-thanks..." Ren was still reeling from the suddenness of what just happened.

The Dark Elf just scratched his head lightly. "I only went for him because he looked uglier than me. Didn't mean to save you, Mr... Naked."

Ren blinked.

Only then did he feel the cold seeping into his skin.

A soft forest breeze blew through, he shivered, then immediately opened his inventory and pulled out a casual outfit to wear.

He had no backup armor. Ren never thought something like this would happen in broad daylight.

'Who'd ever expect a situation like this?'

This afternoon's hunt was a bust. And the worst part...

"I have to spend money on new armor again... first the sword, then the armor... what the hell is next?" Ren sighed, muttering to himself.

After every hunt, Ren usually spent a decent amount on maintenance. Now, having lost his favorite armor set, it felt like he'd lost a part of his own body.

"All right, all right."

The Dark Elf raised both hands like he was surrendering, then looked down at the torn scraps of leather slowly dissolving into the air.

"But seriously, I've never seen anyone wear armor that looked like wrapping yourself in goatskin parchment. Are you sure you didn't get scammed by some shady merchant selling cheap junk?"

Ren shot him a sideways glance, his face not even bothering to argue. "I gathered the materials myself and commissioned it to be crafted."

"Oh… that's a shame," the man chuckled, "Because now you'll have to curse yourself."

Ren sighed, picking up a few scraps of leather that hadn't yet crumbled into dust. "It's light armor, so poor durability is to be expected. I traded a lot just to boost my movement speed anyway."

"Yeah, faster... to die faster, right?" he shrugged, then lowered his voice.

"But dodging a strike from one of the Forest Elf knights wasn't just luck. You knew you might not survive, and still jumped back at the right moment."

Ren said nothing, offering no denial.

"I like that kind of thing," he continued, his eyes flashing with something no longer playful.

"Someone who's fearless is reckless. But someone who's afraid and still fights, that's someone worth... paying attention to."

"By the way, kid…" Aisen lightly rested a hand on the sword at his hip, his voice teasing.

"What's your name? I'm Aisen, captain of the Wolfhandlers squad, under the Scout Regiment. We specialize in clearing out the things that like to lurk in the bushes and howl at midnight."

He smiled faintly, his gaze drifting over Ren before glancing up at the misty gray sky.

"Sounds cool, I know. But sometimes villagers mistake us for sheep hunters.Ridiculous, really."

"...I'm Ren. If there's nothing else…"

Ren frowned, his voice distant. He gave a brief, curt nod before turning away, each step as if trying to exit the situation as quickly as possible.

"Hold on a second…"

A blur swept across, Aisen had blocked Ren's path somehow, his wide grin making it feel like Ren had just wandered onto his personal stage.

"Normally, I'd let innocent folks walk right on by… But unfortunately, you're the kind of guy bad luck actively seeks out."

Ren narrowed his eyes. "I'm allowed to leave, aren't I?"

Aisen shrugged, still smiling.

"Well… theoretically, yes. But the Forest Elves have their eyes on you now, since…"

He mimed a sword slash across his neck, "…you sent one of their own back to mother earth."

Ren clenched his jaw. "But you're the one who killed him."

"Minor detail." Aisen shrugged again, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "They don't care who held the sword. They just need a reason to hate you, and that's enough."

"So then... in the name of noble responsibility and this beautiful man's endless compassion…" Aisen suddenly flashed a roguish smile, smoothing his messy short hair as if performing in front of a mirror.

"I suppose I'll take it upon myself to ensure your safety."

Before Ren could react, he continued, unusually cheerful, ư"We'd better head back to the temporary outpost.It's quite a ways from here, and I'd hate to see you become a forest beast's dinner."

With that, Aisen casually grabbed Ren by the collar like lifting a cloth sack, and began dragging him along without mercy.

"Wait a minute!" Ren struggled, but the height and strength difference made it completely useless.

"This isn't fair…!"

"Life's not fair, kid," Aisen chuckled, walking lightly as if he had no cares in the world. "Good-looking people don't have to explain themselves."

Aisen led Ren gradually southward through the forest.

Under the faint light filtering through the dense canopy, their footsteps blended with the chirping of insects and the wind whispering through the branches.

But the silence didn't last long, Aisen's mouth had no off switch.

"You're not alone, Ren," he began rambling like they'd known each other for lifetimes. "Besides you, a few other humans have made their way to our temporary camp in the past few days."

"There's this pair, a guy and a girl, I remember they helped Commander Kizmel recover a Sacred Relic.

Tch, maybe we should start looking at humans a little less harshly."

Ren frowned slightly, quietly slipping out of the hand that was dragging him along like a lost alley cat.

But something in Aisen's offhand remark caught his attention.

"…This floor," Ren spoke up. "You mean… you guys don't live on this floor?"

Aisen just shrugged, as if it wasn't a big deal. "Yeah. We came down from the tenth floor."

Ren flinched slightly. That answer triggered a flicker of memory Gareth.

He once heard the old man mention that some NPCs could cross between floors using hidden paths not shown on any map.

And now, Ren understood why that Elf from earlier had such overwhelming power.

He came from the tenth floor.

If, in that situation, Ren had been able to defeat him in a one-on-one duel…

…then the one who was abnormal here...wasn't him.

It was Ren.