Chapter 20: Chapter Twelve: Is It Really a Side Quest If We Almost Die Halfway Through It? (Part 1)

We stood at the edge of the village, just past the last archway marking the safety boundary. Devon adjusted the strap of his greatsword across his back while Selene double-checked her belt of throwing daggers. I stared nervously at my HUD, watching as the waypoint flickered faintly in the corner of my vision.

[SIDE QUEST: FIND THE STUBBORN SHAI'RENN SCOUT, KALRI] Distance to Target: 3.5km

we stepped beyond the sanctuary’s boundaries and into the emerald haze of the forest.

The trail was well-trodden at first—used by Shai’renn scouts and adventurers who had been here before. But the further we walked, the more narrow the path became overgrown roots twisting like traps underfoot.

Devon led the way, his heavy boots crunching twigs and leaves as he kept one hand near his greatsword. Selene moved beside him, her gaze flickering to every movement in the underbrush.

I stayed close behind, my shadows flickering faintly at my feet, occasionally darting ahead like cautious scouts.

“Okay, question,” I said, breaking the silence. “Why do scouts in every game always wander just far enough away to become someone else’s problem?”

“It’s in their job description,” Devon said without missing a step. “‘Scout: Bold enough to investigate danger, but conveniently incapable of avoiding it.’”

Selene smirked faintly. “It keeps players like us busy, doesn’t it?”

“Busy, yes. Safe? Absolutely not.”

About an hour into our trek, we heard faint voices ahead—arguing by the sound of it. Devon signaled for us to stop, holding up one hand as Selene crouched low, one dagger already drawn.

We crept forward cautiously until the trees opened up into a small clearing. Two players were standing near a shallow stream, their gear suggesting mid-level adventurers. One was a towering guy in heavy chainmail, a broad hammer strapped to his back, and his username—[Mason]—floating above his head. The other was a slender girl in dark leather armor, dual short twin swords strapped across her back, her username reading [Fi].

“I’m telling you, Mason, we should’ve turned left back there!” Fi’s voice was sharp, her hand gesturing dramatically toward the path behind them.

“And I’m telling you, Fi, the map said to follow the stream!” Mason retorted, crossing his arms. “You’re just mad because your navigation skill sucks.”

“Excuse me?!”

Devon cleared his throat loudly.

Both players jumped, spinning around with weapons half-drawn before realizing we weren’t hostiles.

“Oh, hey!” Mason said, his hammer relaxing against his shoulder. “Uh, you guys lost too?”

Selene raised an eyebrow. “No. And judging by your conversation, you’re not exactly ‘found,’ either.”

Fi groaned, burying her face in her hands. “Don’t remind me.”

Devon stepped forward, his imposing figure making Mason straighten up instinctively. “We’re looking for a Shai’renn scout named Kalri. Have either of you seen anything?”

Mason rubbed the back of his neck. “We haven’t seen anyone named Kalri, but we did see something weird upstream. The water started glowing red for a few seconds before it stopped. Thought it might be a graphical glitch or something.”

Selene exchanged a glance with me. “That sounds like a glitch anomaly.”

I nodded. “It’s worth checking out.”

Fi perked up. “You mind if we tag along? Honestly, we’d rather stick with you guys than keep wandering in circles arguing about cartography.”

Devon sighed but nodded. “Stay close. And if anything jumps out at you, hit it hard.”

“Got it,” Mason said with a firm nod.

“Finally, some progress!” Fi grinned, twirling one of her short swords. “Let’s go before Mason decides to consult his map again.”

We followed the stream uphill, the gentle trickle of water gradually giving way to a faint, ominous hum in the air. The waypoint on my HUD flickered, and my shadows bristled faintly at my ankles.

Up ahead, the stream widened into a small pond surrounded by jagged rocks. In the center, the water pulsed faintly with a dull crimson glow.

“That’s not normal,” Devon muttered.

Selene’s amber eyes narrowed. “No sign of Kalri. But this… it’s definitely caused by the glitch.”

I stepped closer, shadows curling along the water's surface like faint ripples. “If this is connected to Kalri, he might’ve been drawn here.”

Mason lifted his hammer off his shoulder, his expression serious. “So what’s the plan?”

Before I could answer, the pond erupted.

A writhing mass of corrupted tendrils surged upward, water splashing violently outward as a twisted, glitching creature emerged. Its molten red eyes locked onto us, and a notification flashed across my HUD:

[ENCOUNTER: RIFTBOUND ABERRATION – LVL 18]

“Oh, come on!” I shouted as Devon already charged forward with a battle cry.

The fight was chaotic but not overly dangerous. Devon held the creature’s attention with broad, heavy swings of his greatsword, each strike sending shadows scattering into the water. Selene darted in and out, her daggers carving into weak points precisely.

Fi was quick on her feet, her twin short swords slicing tendrils before they could ensnare anyone, while Mason smashed his hammer down with satisfying thuds that cracked the creature’s corrupted shell.

I stood slightly back, focusing on support.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“Shadow Embrace!” I commanded, shadows slithering out and coiling around one of the creature’s limbs, immobilizing it briefly.

When its health finally reached zero, the creature released a distorted screech before collapsing into a pool of corrupted mist.

[ENCOUNTER COMPLETE: EXP +1200]

Mason let out a triumphant laugh. “That wasn’t so bad!”

Fi was already sheathing her swords. “Speak for yourself. I think I sprained something IRL.”

Selene scanned the area. “No sign of Kalri. But… something’s nearby. I can feel it.”

Devon nodded grimly. “We’re getting closer.”

I stared at the faint crimson glow still lingering in the water, my HUD flickering faintly as another faint pulse of Rift energy rippled outward.

Wherever Kalri was… he wasn’t far.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

The aftermath of the Riftbound Aberration fight left us standing in the clearing near a glowing pond water. Mason was wiping his hammer clean with a leaf—because apparently, that’s how he dealt with corrupted ichor—while Fi crouched nearby, poking curiously at the now-fading crimson glow in the water.

Selene stood at the edge of the clearing, her sharp amber eyes scanning the treeline. Devon leaned on his greatsword like a tired statue, sweat trailing down his brow.

“Okay,” Mason said, clapping his gloved hands together. “Nobody whited out, the monster’s dead, and I didn’t embarrass myself. I’d call that a win.”

Fi snorted. “You tripped over your own hammer twice.”

“Combat flourish!” Mason declared dramatically, raising one finger. “It’s part of my fighting style.”

“Sure,” Fi said dryly, before turning to me. “That was some impressive spellwork back there, by the way. What was that shadow-binding move? It didn’t look like anything I’ve seen before.”

My stomach tightened slightly. “Uh, just… a variation on standard Shadow Bind. I’m still figuring it out.”

Fi raised an eyebrow but didn’t push the topic further. Instead, she plopped down on a nearby rock, pulling a glowing fruit out of her inventory and taking a bite.

We decided to take a short break near the edge of the clearing. Devon started a small campfire using flint and steel while Selene scouted briefly ahead before returning with a nod of confirmation that the area was secure.

The fire crackled softly as we all gathered around. I could feel my HP gradually regenerating as I sat cross-legged, my shadows curling around me faintly like lazy cats.

“So…” Mason began, leaning forward on his elbows, his hammer propped beside him. “You guys seem pretty experienced. Are you in a guild or something?”

Devon shook his head. “Not exactly. It’s… complicated.”

Selene smirked faintly. “Let’s just say we’ve been busy dealing with some unique challenges lately.”

Fi glanced at me. “You three definitely don’t look like random solo players. I mean, your group composition alone screams ‘storyline party.’”

“Storyline party?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s what we call those groups in MMOs that seem like the devs handpicked them,” Mason explained. “Y’know—broody rogue, stoic tank, mysterious magic caster.” He pointed at each of us in turn. “Check, check, and double-check.”

Selene rolled her eyes, but the faintest twitch of amusement was at the corner of her lips.

“So what about you two?” Devon asked, leaning back slightly. “Are you guys in a guild?”

Fi shook her head. “Nah, we’re just here for fun. We’ve been gaming together for years.”

Mason nodded. “Yeah, we go to the same high school IRL. Fi’s the overachiever who finishes homework early, and I’m the guy who copies said homework in the hallway five minutes before class starts.”

Fi smirked. “And yet, somehow, he’s better at MMOs than me.”

“That’s because I’m built different,” Mason said with mock seriousness, earning a laugh from all of us.

As the conversation continued, Fi’s expression grew more serious. She leaned forward slightly, her swords resting across her lap.

“Have you guys noticed… the glitches?” she asked carefully.

I froze slightly, my fingers twitching against my knee. Devon and Selene exchanged a glance.

“Glitches?” I said carefully.

“Yeah,” Mason said, his brow furrowing. “Stuff that doesn’t make sense. NPCs glitching out mid-dialogue, quest markers disappearing, and random environmental bugs. I’ve even heard rumors of areas getting wiped—like, players go there, and it and their character data are just… gone.”

“Plus,” Fi added, her sharp gaze locking onto me, “there’s been talk about certain players triggering these glitches. Like, anomalies in their character data causing ripple effects.”

My stomach tightened, and shadows flickered faintly at my feet before I could stop them. Devon subtly shifted closer to me, positioning himself between me and their questions.

Fi’s eyes narrowed slightly as she continued. “Your class… it doesn’t register on my HUD, Kiera. You know that, right?”

I froze.

She tapped her temple, indicating her own display. “When I looked at the party status earlier, Mason’s said ‘Berserker,’ mine said ‘Shadowblade,’ Selene’s said ‘Nightstalker,’ and Devon’s said ‘Warlord.’ But yours? Just… nothing. Blank.”

Mason looked between us, suddenly realizing the tension in the air. “Whoa, wait, is this… like… classified info or something? Did I just walk into an anime plot twist?”

Selene sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You’re more perceptive than I gave you credit for, Fi.”

Fi crossed her arms, her sharp eyes never leaving me. “So? Are you one of those anomaly players?”

I hesitated. The flickering glow of the campfire danced across my HUD, lighting up the faint violet cracks along my hands. I could’ve lied. I could’ve deflected. But something in Fi’s steady gaze told me she wouldn’t drop it.

“…It’s complicated,” I said quietly.

Mason whistled low. “Oh, yeah. That’s definitely an anime plot twist.”

Fi sighed, leaning back slightly. “Look, I’m not gonna press you. If you’re caught up in whatever mess is going on in this game, it’s probably not by choice. But… Mason and I aren’t stupid. We can tell something big is happening.”

Mason nodded. “Yeah. And honestly, if you guys need backup, we’re not about to run off screaming. Right, Fi?”

“Right,” Fi agreed, though her sharp gaze softened slightly. “We’ll watch your backs. Just… don’t make us regret it.”

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “Thanks. Really.”

Devon clapped Mason on the shoulder with a smirk. “You’re a good guy, Mason. Even if your hammer swings look like you’re trying to squash cockroaches.”

“Hey!” Mason protested, but the grin on his face betrayed his mock offense.

Selene shook her head with a faint smile before returning to the forest beyond. “We should keep moving soon. The anomalies won’t wait for us to finish bonding.”

“Agreed,” I said, pushing myself to my feet and dusting off my armor.

As we packed up camp and prepared to move forward, I couldn’t help but feel a faint weight lifting off my shoulders. Fi and Mason knew—or at least, they suspected. But instead of turning their backs on me, they offered their trust.

For now, that was enough.

The waypoint flickered faintly on my HUD as Devon retook the lead and Selene scouted ahead. Mason walked beside me, humming an off-key tune, while Fi kept to my other side.

We moved deeper into the forest, the faint crimson glow of Rift anomalies flickering in the distance.