The Runaway Master Sora's Scenic Day: I Became a Legend Just by Not Fighting - Chapter 3

The city air was as noisy as ever. Central Rivier's commercial district, "Bazaar Row," was packed with people again today. The sharp clang of weapons being forged mixed with the merchants' boisterous calls, and Sora gave a small shrug. "[scared]Ugh, there really are so many people..." She walked while somehow avoiding the waves of people, using the back alley Luna had taught her about before. For the directionally challenged Sora, the simple map Luna had made for her was a lifeline. Without looking at it, she'd lose track of where she was within minutes. Today, she had been thinking she would go find a new scenic view. In her pocket was the claim ticket for the item she had left for appraisal last time. Luna had said it was amazing, but Sora had no idea why. (Even though I thought it was junk, why was she so surprised?) Tilting her head in confusion, Sora headed toward the plaza with the grand bulletin board where travelers' information gathered. In the center of the plaza stood a massive stone bulletin board. It was a place where players posted quest requests and shared monster sighting information. From behind the crowd, Sora quietly peeked at the board. ——"The Grieving Gorge." Those words, written in especially large letters on a piece of parchment, leaped into her eyes. "The Grieving Gorge..." She could hear nearby players talking about it. "Did you hear? Apparently, 'Wings of Dawn' got completely wiped out." "No way. That top guild?" "Yeah, at the Grieving Gorge. It's supposedly full of traps and crawling with monsters. No one knows what's in the deepest part." Sora read the details on the parchment. ——A deeply carved valley located at the northern end of the Cresta Mountain Range. A high-difficulty area where vicious monsters swarm and countless natural traps exist. Arrival difficulty: S. Survival rate: a mere three percent. Just reading it made Sora's legs tremble uncontrollably. "[scared]A-a three percent survival rate..." She absolutely had to pass on this. That's what she thought. Her chest tightened, and it became hard to breathe. A place like this was terrifying, no question about it. Sora tried to leave. ——But. "...A scenic view no one has ever seen, huh?" Her feet stopped. In the corner of the bulletin board, someone had scribbled a note. "Rumor has it there's a waterfall of rainbow-colored light in the deepest part." It was just a rumor. There was no proof. But those words tickled something deep in Sora's chest. (A waterfall of rainbow-colored light) She tried to imagine it. A dark valley floor. A place no one had ever set foot in. There, seven-colored light cascading down like water. Surely, it was a sight no one in this game had ever seen before. "[sad]...I'm scared. But." Sora opened her map. To the Cresta Mountain Range, it was two hundred and fifty kilometers east from Central Rivier. On foot, it would take a very long time. But Sora's movement speed was far higher than an ordinary player's. As a result of running away whenever she got scared, it had reached an absurd value before she knew it. "[serious]...I'll go." It was scary. But still, if there was a view she wanted to see. The journey to the Cresta Mountain Range was surprisingly peaceful. She passed through grasslands and crossed gentle hilly terrain. As the mountains drew closer, the air grew chilly. Sora simply kept walking while gnawing on dried meat she had bought along the way. Not long ago, she couldn't have imagined coming this far alone. But thinking that she just had to run away at full speed if she encountered monsters put her at ease. In fact, there were a few dangerous moments. "GYAAA!" With a sharp cry, a giant bird monster swooped down from the sky. It was a mid-level monster called a Wild Roc, common in mountainous areas. "[scared]Eeek!!" Sora screamed and crouched down on the spot. It was completely by chance—or rather, she was just so scared her legs gave out. But the Wild Roc's sharp talons grazed just above Sora's head and cut through empty air. "Evade Skill: Auto-Activation" A log scrolled at the edge of her vision. But Sora didn't have the composure to look at it. She immediately stood up and started running at full speed. The sound of wings chasing her from behind. But Sora's running was faster. Within minutes, the bird's cries faded into the distance. "[crying]Haa, haa... Th-that was terrifying..." She collapsed on the spot, breathing heavily with her shoulders. (No matter how many times it happens, scary things are still scary...) With tearful eyes, she started walking again. Repeating such incidents, Sora finally arrived at the foot of the Cresta Mountain Range. It was a rugged, rocky mountain. Gray rock faces stretched endlessly, with patches of white snow clinging here and there. The wind howled fiercely, and just standing there seemed enough to chill her body to the core. "[whispers]So cold..." Shivering, Sora checked her map. The entrance to the Grieving Gorge seemed to be further north from this mountain. ——That's when it happened. "Hey, look at that." From a distance, she heard multiple footsteps. When Sora turned around, five players were approaching, kicking up snow dust. All of them wore heavy-looking armor and carried large weapons. Next to their names was a red fang mark. ——Vanargand. The server's largest PK group. Sora had just had an unpleasant experience with them in the forest the other day. "[scared]Eh, eh...?" Sora's legs froze. At the front of the group stood a muscular giant of a man. A massive battle axe was strapped to his back. They stopped right in front of Sora. "Heh, looks like the rumored beginner showed up." "[laughing]So this is that Sora person? The one who made the top guilds tremble?" "From the looks of it, she's just a weak little brat." Laughter erupted. Sora couldn't move from the spot. Her mind went completely blank. (Why do they know my name...?) Trembling, she tried to step back. That's when it happened. Thud! Her back hit the rock wall behind her. There was nowhere to run. "[cold]Hey, hey, don't run away." The giant man edged closer. Seen up close, his body seemed about three times the size of Sora's. "Let's have you help us with a little 'experiment.' That weird skill of yours." The man's hand tried to grab Sora's shoulder. "[scared]P-please stop...!" Sora closed her eyes and leaped sideways with all her might. ——In that instant. Sora's body vanished, leaving an afterimage. "Stride Skill: Flicker Step Activated" "Wha—!?" The man's hand cut through empty air. Sora was standing on a rock five meters away. Even she didn't understand how she had moved. "You little—!" The mage raised his staff. A fireball was launched. Sora screamed and jumped off the rock. The fireball hit the rock, scattering sparks with a crack. (Scary scary scary!) That was all that filled her mind. Run. Run. Just run. "After her! Don't let her get away!" The five of them chased from behind. But Sora's legs were far faster than theirs. "[scared]I can't take this anymooore!!" Crying and screaming, Sora sprinted with all her might toward the gorge. The snow at her feet danced up into the air. After a few minutes, she could no longer hear the voices of her pursuers. Before she knew it, Sora was standing at the entrance to a deep valley. It was, unmistakably, the entrance to the "Grieving Gorge." A narrow, dark passage sandwiched between sheer cliffs on both sides. Every time the wind passed through the gaps in the rocks, an eerie sound—*whooo...*—echoed. It was as if someone was crying. "[scared]Th-this is..." With a face messy from tears, Sora stared at the entrance. If she looked back, the Vanargand group might still be chasing her. If she went forward, it was a valley of death with a three percent survival rate. "[crying]How did it come to this..." Just as she was about to collapse on the spot. At the edge of her vision, a screenshot was displayed. It was the scenic view of the sea of clouds she had taken before, at the cliff in Verde Foresta. (...I was scared back then, too.) But at the end of that frightening experience, there had been such a beautiful view. "[serious]...I'll go." With trembling legs, Sora took a step forward. ——If there was a scenic view no one had ever seen beyond this. The inside of the gorge was hell. Every time she advanced through the narrow passage, traps activated one after another. First, countless spears thrusting up from the ground. *GAGAGAGAGA!* The stone paving at her feet suddenly opened, and sharp iron spearheads shot out. "[scared]Eeek!!" Sora leaped up and, by sheer luck, landed on a rocky ledge. Her body moved on its own out of fear, dodging the spearheads. "Evade Skill: Auto-Activation" Without a moment of relief, arrows were now fired from holes in the walls. *Shushushu!* "W-wah, wah!" She twisted her body, ducked, and jumped. Her heart felt like it was going to leap out of her mouth. But when she looked back, aside from a slight tear at the edge of her clothes, she didn't have a single scratch. "[crying]Why, why is this happening...?" Muttering while half-crying, she pressed further inside. What appeared next was a black mist crawling along the ground. It was a poison mist. The mist chased after Sora as if it had a will of its own. "[scared]No, no, nooo!" Run. Run. Run. Sora's movement speed was about to exceed one thousand. Her all-out sprint easily surpassed the spreading speed of the poison mist. Fear moved her. That simple principle easily transcended the game's common sense. ——Even deeper inside. With a roar, a giant boulder came rolling to block the passage. "You've got to be kidding!?" Sora hastily slipped her body into a narrow crack in the side wall. *Rumble rumble rumble... BOOM!!* The boulder passed right beside her and crashed into the wall behind, shattering. "[crying]I can't take this anymore..." She collapsed and sobbed. She wanted to go home. She thought that countless times. But the path she came from was already blocked. She had no choice but to go forward. And when she finally reached what seemed to be the deepest part—— "GISHAAAAAA!!" A deafening roar shook the entire valley. Before her eyes was a giant two-headed snake, easily three meters tall. Its name was displayed as "Guardian of Lament." It was probably the boss monster of this gorge. The two heads each faced different directions. Flames leaked from one mouth, and cold air from the other. "[scared]Ah... ah..." Sora's legs gave out. She couldn't move. The snake looked at her. Its four eyes swiveled and locked onto Sora. "GISHAAAAAA!!" Breaths of flame and ice were unleashed simultaneously. "Nooooo!!" Sora screamed and, with her eyes still shut, rolled around frantically on the spot. By chance, the place she rolled into was a small hollow in the floor. The flames and cold air passed right over the hollow. Her hair was slightly singed, but that was all. "Evade Skill: 1247" The system log dispassionately displayed Sora's evasion value. "[crying]I can't take it anymore, I want to go home, but I can't go back, what should I do...!" Tears blurred her vision. But the snake, without mercy, was preparing its next attack. ——That's when it happened. The wall behind the snake leaped into her eyes. Looking closely, there was a crack in the wall. And from beyond it, a faint light was leaking. The snake charged. "[scared]Not that way, nooo!" Sora ran, just trying to escape the snake's attack range. Coincidentally, in the direction of that light. The snake's body crashed into the wall. *BOOM!!* The impact greatly widened the crack. The other side of the wall seemed to be hollow. Stones crumbled and fell, opening a hole just large enough for one person to pass through. Sora dove into the hole as if being sucked in. Beyond the hole was a narrow tunnel. She could no longer hear the snake's roar. Th

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Episode 3

Name: The Runaway Master Sora's Scenic Day: I Became a Legend Just by Not Fighting
Author: Novelia

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