As Arka stepped out of the shop, she looked for the player who previously asked for help to see if he's still nearby.

At a short distance, she saw the player with his back turned. A small rucksack is strapped on his back. He continues walking away as the long cloth of his padded armor, and the daggers on his waist dangled in rhythm with his pacing. He's heading back to the city square.

Arka walked faster. The metal of her armor sounded at the same pace as her movement. Then, as she got closer, "Wait," She called out to him.

Banelfsing turned around to the person calling him. He saw the dark swordsman approaching.

"Let's do your—" Arka felt herself about to stutter again. "Let's do your quest," She said firmly this time as she finished closing their distance.

"I thought you needed to go." He said.

"Changed my mind..." She said. "So, where are we headed...?" Arka asked the question slowly. She expressed it with a slight gesture of her hand.

Banelfsing suddenly raised his chin. He made a fist, near chest-level as if showing his eagerness. He livened up knowing that he finally found someone to accompany him on his adventure.

Banelfsing was grateful. "This way," he said, with excitement. He turned his back to the swordsman and began to walk, leading the way.

Arka followed him.

In Helamir, fast travel is limited. The best that players could do to venture into the world was on foot.

Dry soil, grass, and mud stuck to the soles of Arka and Banelfsing as they ventured through a lush forest. Multitude rays of light pierced through the small gaps between the thickly covered trees and struck the two for each step they took.

Soon, they arrived at their destination.

"This is it," Banelfsing said, with a parchment in his hand.

Before Arka and Banelfsing, stood a tall, rocky, entrance to an unfamiliar cave. Their figures upon first look at a distance would make them look so, insignificant as they face it.

"What's... your quest about?" Arka asked Banelfsing.

Banelfsing turned his head to Arka. He looked at her, with his eyes showing a glint of confidence.

Arka didn’t feel good about Banelfsing showing this look on his face.

After a brief smirk, Banelfsing said his carefully thought-out statement to summarize the reason for the arduous journey they've both traveled so far.

"Treasure," Was all he said.

Treasure... Arka thought as she speculates on the meaning behind the term.

"So, this is a treasure hunt... for Fels?" Arka reaffirmed.

Banelfsing nodded as he said a brief "Yeah," right back at Arka. "I got a treasure map after completing a quest chain from an NPC in the west part of the city," Banelfsing said as he showed her a rolled parchment in his hand implying that it was a map. "Then like, I saw you entered that shop. And I just thought, 'should bring one guy along,'"

So, he partied with me out of a whim when he found me at that shop? Arka recalled.

"Anyway, like, I saw this map leads to a place I'm not familiar with so, it's better to have company, right?" Banelfsing said.

"Okay... then, so... like, you just want me... to be your bodyguard?" Arka asked in her slow tone as she crossed her arms.

"Nah..." Banelfsing said with a steady tone. His eyes moved left and right, as he crossed his arms figuring out what words to say. After that, he looked at her. "You don't have to put it that way... we're a party. We'll share the spoils," He said.

I do need some more Fels... The thought passed Arka's mind, as her hand moved to her satchel.

"Sending in a party invitation," Banelfsing said.

Suddenly, a confirmation window popped up in front of Arka's HUD.

Join Banelfsing's party?

Yes • No

"Well then..." Arka said.

Arka accepted the party invitation. As she accepted, a small, new window appeared on the left side of her HUD. It was the party window. It details the status and conditions of her party members. Right now, it shows Banelfsing's window, showing his name, and below it was his HP.

"Then, let's go for now..." she said as she went past her new party member. "We can talk about my reward later," She said. Banelfsing followed after.

The cave they entered is muddled with irregular and uneven shaped rock formations, mostly at the side of the caves. It's covered in moss near the entrance. The deeper they went, the lesser it was present; and the darker it became for there wasn't any convenient source of light to reflect their path.

Due to the lack of sunlight, dead plants, mushrooms, and strange bioluminescent plants then thrived next, as they continued strolling.

However, these bioluminescent plants soon dwindled the more they went.

"It's getting dark... do you... still wanna venture in?" Arka said.

"Hold on," Banelfsing said. Arka stopped in her tracks. Afterwards, he removed the rucksack on his back, and placed it on the ground. He took out an unlit torch, some flint, and steel.

He placed the torch on the ground, and then, he took out a bottle in his rucksack. He poured some of the liquid from the bottle on the end of the torch and put the bottle back in his bag.

After that, he started igniting the torch by making a spark with the flint and steel. The torch soon caught fire.

"Take this," Banelfsing said as he handed the lit torch to Arka. She took the torch from Banelfsing's hand and she held it in her off-hand.

Convenient... Arka thought.

Arka went in front of her party member acting as the one who will light and scout ahead in the cave, as Banelfsing finishes putting his belongings back in his rucksack.

Afterward, they continued to venture their way now that they have a source of light to see their path.

Arka couldn't help but feel nervous, but also thrilled at the idea of exploring an unfamiliar cave. It's not every day someone could do something like this... despite everything being in virtual reality.

As they went deeper—

Something hit Arka's arm. It made a loud noise startling both people.

"Woah—! Hey—!" Banelfsing shouted.

"It's fine..." Arka said.

Arka then pointed the torch closer to the ground to illuminate where she last heard the object fall. She searched for whatever hit her. She eventually found an arrow laying on the cave's ground.

She went to it, knelt and picked it up from its shaft. She examined it.

A poisoned arrow... Arka thought as the arrow dripped fresh with a transparent liquid on its arrow head.

It seems the arrow only bounced off her armor. It wasn’t enough to pierce through the steel.

Arka then stood up and showed what she picked up to Banelfsing.

"An arrow hit me... what's more, it's poisoned. but it bounced off thanks to my armor..." She said.

"I see..." He said. "Good thing it didn't graze you. I didn't bring any antidotes with me." Banelfsing said.

"Then... we should be careful... there should be more traps nearby." Arka said.

"Okay," Banelfsing said.

"Unless, of course... you wanna head back for now?" Arka continued.

"No," Banelfsing said. "We can make it. We've already come this far," He said.

"Alright, then... let's keep moving... I'll protect you," Arka said.