"This information more than covers your payment. In return, I'll share some news that hasn't reached the public yet."
"Go on," Dexter said, resting his arms on the table as he leaned forward.
The woman focused her gaze on him, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
"The war in the Uncharted Zone is spreading—shifting from the southeast toward the northeast. The Black Desert Alliance has been steadily claiming territories from the PAX Alliance."
She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in before continuing.
"Thirty PAX Alliance caravans were ambushed by unknown forces. Total losses reached thirty billion coins, including three War Mammoths and multiple siege mounts. Rumors point to the Blackhands, but there's no proof yet."
"The Limitless Alliance continues defending the Crimson Tree Zone against numerous guilds attempting to capture it."
She took a slow breath before adding,
"Recruitment surges at the Fallen King's Redoubt, Witchfang Spire, and Archsage's Hollow—prime locations for guilds rebuilding their forces."
"As for the reigning power... The Forgotten still holds dominance, along with their Alliance, War Gods. Though rumors suggest..." Her voice dropped slightly,
"The Forgotten may be secretly funding the Black Desert Alliance to eliminate PAX—all over control of the Mammoth Zone."
The woman produced a rolled dry leaf, lit it with practiced ease, and took a long drag before exhaling a slow stream of smoke to her side.
The accent scent filled the air as Dexter swallowed hard.
'THERE'S CIGARETTE HERE!' Dexter thought, his eyes locked on the rolled leaf.
"May I ask one final question?" Dexter said, barely containing his eagerness.
The woman arched an eyebrow.
"What is it, Mr. Customer?"
"I'd like to know where to buy some ciga—" He caught himself, finger trembling as he pointed.
"That rolled dry leaf of yours."
"Oh this?" She twirled it between her fingers. "It's available at the market."
Dexter shot up so fast his chair screeched, grabbing Stella's arm as he made for their original exit. The woman's voice stopped them cold.
"Not that way." Her finger pointed to the opposite side of the room. "Use this passage."
"Right! Thank you!"
As their footsteps faded, the woman sank back into her chair and snapped her fingers. A black-cloaked figure materialized from the shadows beside her.
"Follow that man. He possesses information about Gridlock—the very intelligence The Forgotten seeks..."
"Yes, my lady..." The assassin's whisper hung in the air as she dissolved back into the darkness.
…
"Dexter, wait! Slow down!" Stella called out as she chased after Dexter, who was running ahead with uncontainable excitement.
"Just sit there and wait for me—I'll be back fast!" he called back without slowing down.
Stella stopped, watching as Dexter's silhouette gradually blurred in the shimmering heat waves of the Sand Worm Oasis.
"That idiot," she muttered under her breath. "Always running off whenever he feels like it..."
Suddenly, a female player approached, offering Stella a brilliant smile.
"Hey, which guild are you with?"
"I don't belong to any," Stella replied flatly. "Why?"
The woman's eyes sparkled with interest as she tried to inspect Stella's equipment, only to frown when she couldn't discern any information about it.
"What world are you from?" she pressed.
"Arz... You?"
"Oh! Me too!" The woman's face lit up. "Would you like to meet other players from our world?"
Stella's eyes widened slightly before she broke into a smile—this was the first news she'd heard about her home world since entering the tutorial.
"Sure!" she agreed.
"Come with me then," the woman said, extending her hand. "I'll introduce you."
…
Inside the bustling marketplace, Dexter struggled to push through the dense crowds.
'Damn it, where can I find those cigarettes...'
After ten minutes of searching, he spotted a peddler sitting by the roadside, his worn carpet displaying an assortment of potions, herbs, and—most importantly—the rolled dry leaves Dexter had been desperately seeking.
"Hey! How much for the dry leaves?" Dexter called out.
"2,000 coins per pack," the peddler replied without looking up.
"What the hell? That's outrageous! Make it 1,000 and I'll take two packs."
The peddler finally glanced up, scowling.
"Are you trying to rob me? You want me to give you one free? Not a chance. 1,800, and that's my final offer."
What followed was an extended battle of wills filled with increasingly creative curses and insults. Eventually, they settled on 1,399 coins per pack. When Dexter bought ten packs and shamelessly asked for a bulk discount, the peddler responded with a stream of curses so colorful it made nearby shoppers turn their heads.
'Well, at least I saved some coins for tonight's inn stay...'
Dexter walked back to where he'd left Stella, but after searching the area thoroughly, she was nowhere to be found.
'Where the hell did she go this time? I specifically told her to wait here...'
'/LocalMap'
A mini-map of the town appeared in the lower right corner of his vision, displaying a bird's-eye view of the area.
"Damn it, she's not here," he muttered.
"Where could she have—" His eyes widened.
"Don't tell me..."
'/help'
[Hi FlyHighLikeAButterfly! How may I assist you?]
'/is whisper working here?'
[Yes. Use /w [Name] to whisper and /r to reply.]
'/w Stella Arzois Where the hell are you?'
Minutes passed with no response. Growing impatient, he tried again:
'/w Stella Arzois say slash R and talk to me, you... beautiful idiot.'
Seconds later, a message flashed in the upper left corner of his vision:
(Dex! Help me!)
'/r Where exactly are you?'
(I don't know! We went inside some cave!)
Dexter facepalmed so hard the impact echoed through the marketplace, drawing stares and laughter from nearby players.
'/r I TOLD YOU NOT TO TRUST ANYONE!'
…
"Why! Why do this to me? You said you were from my world! Why trick me?!" Stella shouted as she fought desperately against the horde of Tier III Goblins.
"You idiot, did you really believe that?" The woman standing atop the cliff watched Stella's futile struggle with cold amusement.
Stella swung her staff wildly, smashing the Goblins' skulls one after another, but her MP she used to heal herself would run out long before the horde stopped coming.
Panic made her movements erratic, causing her SP to drain much faster than usual. Between the woman's mocking laughter and the Goblins' screeching, Stella realized death was inevitable.
'I should've listened to Dex…'
That single regret was all that remained in her mind.