Never Let Your Guard Down

Never let your guard down. A heavy tension settled over the bushes. The Jump Rabbit glared at Ha-yeon with its ears perked up.

A brief silence. Then—thunk! The Jump Rabbit moved first. It leaped with such speed that it vanished from sight in an instant.

"Whoa."

Jack let out a low whistle from behind.

"Pretty fast."

It was the Jump Rabbit's signature move. It didn't charge in a straight line. Zigzag. Diagonal shifts, constantly changing direction to confuse its prey.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! The rabbit's body kept bounding up. Mid-air direction changes. Left. Right. Then left again. Movements designed to throw off a person's gaze.

But Ha-yeon's eyes, watching it all, didn't waver.

I can see it.

A sharp tingle prickled somewhere in her mind.

The prey's movements sharpened into crystal clarity. Ha-yeon steadied her breath, thinking.

Nelly told me. Keep your eyes on the prey until the end.

Just as Nelly had taught her. Don't waver. Don't get tricked. Stay cautious to the very last moment.

No rush. Watch until the end, then...

The Jump Rabbit leaped again. This time, toward Ha-yeon's right. But she didn't move. She just shifted her gaze.

The rabbit's body. Muscle twitches. Landing spot. And finally, the direction of its next jump.

Now.

Ha-yeon's body sprang into motion. Nelly's dagger flashed in the light.

In one strike.

The short blade sliced through the air.

Cut it down.

Shwick— A short, precise thrust. The next instant—thud. The Jump Rabbit's body hit the ground. Its movements stopped.

Red blood dripped slowly from the tip of Ha-yeon's dagger.

A short silence. Then a whistle from behind.

"Heh heh."

It was Jack.

"Clean work, kid."

"Impressive," Enson said, sounding a bit surprised. "At that speed, most newbies flail around a few times."

He added, "And besides..."

Enson's gaze swept over the fallen Jump Rabbit on the ground.

"I didn't expect you'd finish it in one hit."

His eyes naturally drifted to Ha-yeon's hand. More precisely, to the dagger.

Nelly's dagger. Watching the blood slowly trickle down the blade, Enson muttered, "That dagger must be top-quality."

Ha-yeon shrugged nonchalantly. "Something like that."

Enson chuckled softly. "Not easy to get something like that on the lower floors."

There was a hint of envy in his voice. The party's gear was mostly shabby. Enson's sword was a practical iron blade, Jack's bow showed wear in spots, and even Hob's shield, though sturdy, bore clear signs of heavy use.

In comparison, Ha-yeon's dagger stood out sharply.

"Warm-up's enough, right?" Enson ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠said, sheathing his sword. "Let's move. Finding cockatrice tracks is priority."

Cockatrice. That was the party's real goal.

"Heh heh, yeah." Jack took the lead. "We didn't come to hunt rabbits."

The party started moving again. Jack up front. Ha-yeon and Hob behind him. Party leader Enson brought up the rear, watching for threats.

They advanced slowly along the forest path. Ha-yeon and Jack kept scanning the bushes and ground.

"Lots of rabbit tracks here."

"Big ones don't come this way much."

Ha-yeon quietly wiped her dagger, recalling the fight. Nelly's dagger gleamed silver again once the blood was cleaned off.

"..."

That instant. She felt eyes on her from right beside.

"...?"

But when Ha-yeon turned, only Hob's friendly face was there.

"Something wrong, Ha-yeon?"

"Nah... nothing."

Ha-yeon faced forward again. Once she did, Hob's eyes changed. His expression was as relaxed as ever, but his gaze stayed fixed on the dagger in her hand.

"...."

Hob's eyes gleamed strangely.

*

*

"Looks like we're camping tonight." Enson clicked his tongue, muttering.

Looking up, the sun was already dipping low. Darkness slowly blanketed the tower plains.

"Sun's setting," he said. "We'll have to camp."

Enson turned to Jack at the front. "Jack. Any good spots?"

The scout ranger sniffed the air.

"Heh heh." He chuckled lowly. "Follow me."

Jack tested the ground, then set a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠direction. The party followed.

Soon they reached a corner of the wide plain. Short grass, soft yet dry earth. Low moisture, good visibility. Not bad for camping.

"Guess we're staying here tonight." Enson nodded. Then he looked at Ha-yeon. "You okay with that?"

A considerate question. They were fellow climbers, but Ha-yeon's appearance was still that of a child. The tower's buffs kept her from looking sickly like in the real world, but it couldn't change her youthful looks.

Ha-yeon thought inwardly, What a hassle...

Grateful for Enson's care, but it felt a bit annoying. She had a feeling this would keep happening.

"I'm fine."

Ha-yeon nodded.

"Good."

Enson replied curtly. Time passed, and the sun fully set. After dark, moving was tough. It got pitch black fast, hard to see, and the temperature dropped quick. Most climbers stopped at night to camp.

Meanwhile, Jack worked deftly. Soon, a small campfire flickered to life.

"Whoa." Ha-yeon admired it.

Jack shrugged. "Heh heh, got it, kid?"

Unlike his shady first impression, he was surprisingly chatty.

"Even without firewood, you can make a fire like this." Jack showed the grass roots in his hand. "Gather wild stuff like—"

"Ah." Ha-yeon nodded along. "I see."

"This grass burns great when dry. And this bark—"

Mid-explanation, a large hand thrust between them. Two cups in his hands, filled with white liquid.

"Warm milk." It was Hob. He smiled warmly, offering them. "Have one each."

"...?"

Ha-yeon's gaze fixed on the milk.

Milk...?

That instant, a forum post flashed in her mind. Tower climbing community.

'The most dangerous thing in the tower? Fellow climbers.'

'Don't gobble up whatever they hand you.'

"...?"

Ha-yeon took the cup. "Thanks..."

She didn't show it, but she was on guard.

Ha-yeon glanced at Jack. As expected from a senior pro climber.

"Hmm..."

Jack narrowed his sly eyes even further, staring at Hob's milk. Rolling his eyes, sniffing it. Inspecting so thoroughly the giver might take offense.

After staring for a while...

Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.

He downed it in one go.

"Wha...?"

Ha-yeon's eyes widened watching.

"Heh heh." Jack wiped his mouth, grinning. "Nice skills, Hob. Getting milk this good."

"Haha, right? Squeezed it fresh from home."

"...?"

Ha-yeon's mind blanked for a second.

Wait. You just drank that?

If you do, then I have to too—

Should she drink or not? By the crackling campfire, Ha-yeon's dilemma deepened.