Journey to Planar World

With Asuna’s HP bar nearly depleted, another hit would surely kill her. The tip of Abyssal Devourer’s sword was aimed straight at her heart.

But at that critical moment, Charlie shot down from above like a bolt of lightning. His sword was drawn, slashing vertically with deadly speed.

*CLANG!*

The piercing clash of metal echoed through the ruins as their swords collided, sparks flying.

Instantly, Abyssal Devourer leaped back, her movements agile and swift.

Charlie now stood in front of Asuna, a living shield.

”Quick, drink a Healing Potion.”

Without turning, he urged the stunned Asuna.

”Oh, right.”

Asuna snapped out of it, opened her inventory, grabbed a Healing Potion, and drank it. Her HP bar, previously a deep red, began climbing back to yellow.

”Tch. What a shame, I failed, huh. This is why I didn’t want to deal with you.”

Abyssal Devourer clicked her tongue in frustration, glaring at Charlie with clear displeasure on her captivating face.

Without waiting for a response, she stepped back, her body twisting as she dove into the shadows beneath her feet, as if the stone floor were a pool of water.

”Wait!”

*WHOOSH!*

Charlie stomped the ground, launching forward at high speed, slashing his sword and sending a wave of sword energy toward where Abyssal Devourer vanished.

*SWOOSH!*

But she was already gone. Unwilling to give up, Charlie scanned the area with his Six Eyes, hoping to detect her energy. He then used Spirit Arts to replicate various detection methods like Magic Sense and Divine Sense. But it was futile—no trace, no energy ripple, as if Abyssal Devourer had evaporated into thin air.

”Haaa…”

Charlie let out a long sigh, a resigned expression crossing his face as he realized she had escaped.

”Abyssal Devourer got away. I’ll admit, the Assassin type is trickier than the Summoner type I faced before. Her stealth ability is infuriating.”

”The good news is, the raw power of an Assassin-type Abyssal Devourer isn’t too strong. Her sneak attack wasn’t enough to kill Asuna. Compared to a Summoner-type, which can call Villains with insane power, the Assassin-type’s most terrifying aspects are her undetectable stealth and extreme caution.”

Recalling how she fled without hesitation upon seeing him, Charlie knew it would be tough to kill such a cunning and cautious opponent.

”So that’s the Abyssal Devourer you mentioned? She doesn’t seem like a world-ending monster. More like a beautiful girl who could charm any man, right?”

Seeing the situation calm, Asuna approached.

*SHUA!*

Charlie’s Steel Sword dissolved into particles of light. Turning, he countered Asuna’s question.

”Well, I don’t know if the Abyssal Devourer’s true form is human-like or if they disguise themselves as humans to avoid world rejection. Putting that aside, how did it feel to be targeted by her?”

”…”

Asuna fell silent. The memory of the blade piercing her back, then aiming for her heart, flashed through her mind.

The sharp sensation, the brutal drop in her HP bar, the panic gripping her as she realized death was so close.

*BA-DUMP!* *BA-DUMP!* *BA-DUMP!*

Asuna felt her heart race again. Her hand gripping her rapier trembled—not from exhaustion but from lingering adrenaline and dread.

Death here was real, and she had just tasted it so closely, so suddenly, without a chance to fight back. It was an experience that weakened her knees, reminding her that every second in this world was a gamble with her life.

”Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked something like that. No one’s fearless in the face of death.”

Charlie saw the fear still etched on Asuna’s face. His hand rose, gently patting the top of her head.

”You did amazingly, Asuna. In a tense situation like that, facing a sudden attack, you didn’t freeze in fear—you fought back brilliantly.”

”If you’d just stood there, stunned, I’d have been too late. Honestly, Asuna, you’re tougher and stronger than most women out there.”

Feeling his hand on her head, Asuna didn’t brush it off as she usually would. Instead, she lowered her head, resting her forehead against Charlie’s chest.

”It was so scary… I thought I was going to die. Dying in a game is absurd enough, and now some entity beyond human reason is targeting me… What is this? Why is this happening to me…?”

Asuna poured out her heart, venting her frustration and the unfairness she felt, all her bottled-up fear and anger spilling out. In the end, she was just a 15-year-old girl.

”…”

Empty words of comfort would be useless. Charlie knew that. So, he said nothing. He only stroked the back of Asuna’s hair gently, his movements soothing.

The warmth of his palm and careful touch meant more than a thousand hollow words, offering Asuna a sliver of calm amid her emotional storm.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

”Need my help, Asuna?”

”No need. This was my mistake—I’ll take back my stolen rapier myself.”

”Why choose the hard way when there’s an easy one?”

Charlie could only sigh at Asuna’s stubbornness.

The two raced through the deepening ruins, chasing a humanoid creature fifty centimeters tall with bluish skin, a long rodent-like snout, and large, cunning yellow eyes.

The monster, a Sly Shrewman, held Asuna’s rapier in its hand.

”…”

It began when Charlie and Asuna decided to end their relic-hunting in the Decaying Ruins.

On their way back, they faced various monsters blocking their path. One was a Mournful Wraith, a translucent female ghost with a terrifying appearance.

Asuna, already afraid of ghosts and supernatural things, was horrified as the Mournful Wraith floated closer. In her panic, she accidentally triggered a hidden floor trap.

The ground beneath her opened, and she fell into the dark catacombs below the ruins.

Her misfortune didn’t end there. As she landed, her rapier slipped from her grasp, flying a few meters away. By bad luck, a Sly Shrewman was nearby.

The Sly Shrewman swiftly grabbed Asuna’s rapier and fled.

When Charlie caught up and jumped into the catacombs, he saw Asuna already chasing the creature.

He offered to retrieve the rapier, but Asuna firmly refused, insisting she didn’t want to rely on him for every problem, especially one caused by her own carelessness.

Charlie shook his head but respected her wishes. Now, they both pursued the Sly Shrewman.