76. WHEN TEAMS BREAK APART

76. WHEN TEAMS BREAK APART
Several days had passed since Ethan last saw Miriam at OFF LIMIT, not even during the gathering of items for their next mission. Miriam had somehow been avoiding all the team members since her falling out with Chloe. Ethan didn’t dare reach out to her in real life.

It wasn't because he was a coward—though he was worried about her. He didn't want Miriam to feel like her boundaries were being crossed. If she comes back, she’ll come back, he told himself.

Ethan sat waiting for his teammates, who were still searching for supplies. His eyes narrowed when he saw someone approaching from the forest. It was Garreth.

Garreth immediately plopped down beside Ethan with a heavy sigh.

“Miriam still hasn’t shown up, huh?”

That comment only made Ethan feel worse. He shook his head faintly.

"Women," Garreth muttered.

"Have you tried reaching her?" Ethan asked curiously.

Garreth shook his head. "I only have Dane's number. Sorry, I forgot about that.”

“It’s all right.”

"I'll write down all your numbers later, okay?" Garreth cleared his throat. "I mean yours, Chloe's, and Miriam's. Well, if Miriam still wants to be on the team.”

Ethan only nodded, his eyes fixed on the thick forest ahead. Not long after, Dane appeared with Chloe. The two of them were caught up in a small argument about something.

"You still need to let it go," Dane said as they reached Ethan and Garreth.

“Hey, I already did. But Miriam’s got issues! She’s either completely emotionless or way too emotional!" Chloe snapped.

Garreth let out a long sigh. "Oh, geez."

Ethan didn’t want another fight, so he stood up and patted Dane on the shoulder. "Let's head back to The Medieval," he suggested.

Nobody argued—after all, they had what they needed for the next quest. Just some basic gear, nothing too tough. But who knew how hard Level 18 would be?

\[The Lobby: THE MEDIEVAL\]

\[Name: Ethan Mannon\]

\[Age: 22 years\]

\[Classification: Tank\]

\[Status: Novice +4\]

\[Gold: 252,000\]

\[Armor: Shield Treachery's Iron Bulwark level 25\]

\[Item: Harpy's Wing, Wizard's Crystal, Blue Beacon Spark\]

\[Power: +500\]

\[Buff: Harpy's Inferno, Wizard's Lumen\]

\[Skill: Eternal Shield +5\]

\[Special Item: Skip Level +2, Time +2 hours. One role +1. Albert Inherit Sword’s level 2\]

As soon as Ethan stepped into the lobby, the status screen flashed up. His gold had only increased slightly since they had been farming low-level areas. He tapped his temple, and the hologram vanished.

He and his teammates headed for the bar, but then a loud, booming horn sounded. Ethan glanced at the others, and without a word, they all moved toward the city bell.

Players had already gathered and were lining up to have their equipment checked for the upcoming quest.

That’s when Ethan spotted Miriam. She was with Reynald’s team, entering the portal with them.

“Oh my God—that’s Miriam, isn’t it?” Dane gasped. "Why the hell is she with another team? Did she decide to leave us?"

“Well, it’s not like she signed a contract with us,” Chloe shrugged. “She can join whoever she wants.”

Dane looked crushed and lowered his head. Garreth quickly patted him on the back. “Forget it. We’re still a solid team. Having too many shooters wouldn’t help us anyway.”

But for Dane, it wasn’t about team roles. Since the beginning, he’d felt a bond with Miriam. He knew he wouldn’t have come this far without her help. Watching her walk away like that stung.

“Come on, let’s go in,” Chloe said, ignoring their conversation.

After checking their supplies, the four of them stood before the portal. Chloe stepped in first, followed by Dane and Garreth. Ethan took a deep breath.

"Here we go," he muttered.

Darkness swallowed him whole.

...

Ethan's eyes opened slowly, and his senses returned. His cheek felt damp, and the sharp smell of moss filled his nostrils.

"Urgh," he groaned.

He was lying on a carpet of bright green moss. Sunlight trickled down through the dense canopy above. He pushed himself up and scanned the area for Garreth, Dane, and Chloe, but there was no one.

Drawing on his past experience in tropical forests, Ethan decided to search quietly, rather than calling out. Noise could attract predators. Who knew if coyotes—or worse—were around?

He trudged across damp soil, stepping over fallen logs and navigating tangled climbing vines that made the path difficult to traverse.

"Where are they?" he muttered under his breath.

The silence was unsettling. There were no bird calls or animal sounds, just the rustle of leaves in the wind. Somehow, that only made Ethan more wary.

Eventually, tired of searching, he sat on a fallen log and scanned the woods for any sign of his friends. Nothing. There were no players at all. This made it even stranger.

Then he remembered the Wizard’s Crystal. He’d never used it and had no idea what it was for. But maybe it could help.

Ethan pulled the glasslike sphere from his inventory and held it in both palms.

"This game isn't even based on magic," he muttered. "How the hell would I use this? I’m not a mage.”

Suddenly, however, the crystal changed. What had been clear became cloudy, filled with black smoke. Ethan blinked, stunned.

"What on earth..."

A vision appeared: Chloe, Dane, and Garreth huddled in a hollow tree. Garreth was curled up while the other two argued frantically.

Then it vanished.

"Holy crap! What’s happening?”

Ethan shoved the crystal back into his inventory. Now came the problem—where was he supposed to go? The vision only showed them in a random part of the forest.

He started to move again when a whistling sound cut through the air. Instinctively, he raised his shield and blocked the bullet that tore a hole into the ground beside him. Smoke curled from the impact.

Ethan stumbled back, bracing himself. Then came the sound of hurried footsteps.

"Who's there!" a sharp voice rang out—one Ethan instantly recognised.

He lowered his shield and stepped forward carefully. A redheaded figure stood ahead with a gun aimed steadily and sharp eyes.

“Miriam?” Ethan called out.

“Ethan?”