Morning sunlight streamed through the white stone pavement of Arcadia. A night had passed since the four of them joined hands yesterday, and Aozuki Keisho gazed out from the inn window. (My first real combat...) His heartbeat felt faster than usual. When it came to finding system vulnerabilities and gathering information—knowledge-based activities—he had the advantage as a hacker. But facing an enemy with a sword in hand was a different matter entirely. In this world where the distinction between reality and virtual had become so blurred, could they really survive? "Good morning, Keisho!" Hyoame's cheerful voice echoed from downstairs. Aozuki Keisho took a deep breath and descended the stairs. Three people were already gathered in the inn's dining hall. Hyoame was stuffing bread into his cheeks while laughing without reason, "Today's gonna be a total victory!" Milia had spread out a thick log sheet and was explaining in her usual calm manner, "Monster spawn rates on the plains are 12.3% lower in the morning. Therefore, starting our operation in the morning is optimal." Mireina sat quietly sipping tea, her gaze fixed intently on Aozuki Keisho's face. "My, my. A sleepyhead, aren't we? Couldn't sleep from worry?" At those words, Keisho averted his eyes. Mireina's tone was teasing, yet somehow it felt like she was seeing right through him—it made him uncomfortable. "...Something like that." He gave a short reply and sat at the table. Breakfast that Milia had apparently prepared was laid out before him. Bread, cheese, and some kind of fruit. The texture felt real—nothing like something from a game. "You need to eat to have strength. Today's an important day, after all." Milia said it gently. Hidden in her expression was tension. She could die too. Facing that reality head-on, she still prepared breakfast. That action spoke louder than anything else. Keisho ate. He had no leisure to savor it. Just taking in nutrition. Repeating that cycle. "Alright, we're ready. Let's go." Hyoame stood up. A short sword hung at his waist. Milia, Mireina, and Keisho—all of them were equipped. The north gate of Arcadia gleamed white. Beyond it, the Eternal Plains stretched out. The plains were far vaster than imagined. Grass reached up to their waists, swaying like waves with each breeze. In the distance, an ice-bound mountain range was visible. The sky was a transparent blue, cloudless. A landscape so perfect it didn't seem like a game world at all. "Whoa, this is seriously an isekai." Hyoame murmured in wonder. His expression in that moment was genuinely delighted, innocent. That man who had once lost everything to gambling was feeling "joy" right here and now. Somehow, that left an impression. "Don't let your guard down. We don't know when monsters might appear." Milia warned. Her gaze was constantly directed outward. A player like her—analytical, with data in her head—had the highest chance of survival. After advancing through the plains for roughly ten minutes. The first enemy appeared. "—!" Mireina cried out. A pale light emanated from her fingertips. Her eyes tracked the enemy's movements. Three of them. Small earth spirits—Gnomes. About the size of a fist, their entire bodies glowing earth-colored. Their eyes were like empty voids, utterly unreadable. "They're here. Everyone, brace yourselves." Keisho gripped his short sword. In that instant, Hyoame— "Let's go!" He charged forward. No strategy. No confirmation. Just running straight at the enemy. "Hyoame, wait!" Milia shouted, but it was already too late. Hyoame's short sword slashed the nearest Gnome. *Crash.* A dull sound. The Gnome vanished on the spot. "See? Easy!" Hyoame turned back with a smug grin. And immediately after— The remaining two Gnomes simultaneously rushed at Hyoame. "Ah, w-wait, hold on—" Hyoame hastily retreated. His footwork wasn't bad. But being targeted by two enemies at once was harsh for an amateur. "Hyoame!" Keisho ran. He slashed one of the Gnomes. The other one came at Keisho instead. As he observed the small creature's movements, Keisho analyzed the enemy's attack pattern. (Simple. It just charges in a straight line. Then—) Moving his body sideways, he slashed with his short sword. The Gnome vanished. It was over in an instant. All three Gnomes were defeated. "Th-that was close." Hyoame was breathing heavily. It really had been a dangerous situation. If Keisho hadn't made it in time, Hyoame might have been defeated. "Rather, you were overconfident. Be more composed." Milia pointed out harshly. Data and theory were perfect, but reality didn't proceed as planned. She was feeling that gap too. "But thanks to that, we learned something, didn't we?" Mireina laughed softly. Her eyes held that impish glimmer of someone who'd found something amusing. "What did we learn?" Keisho asked. "That courage and recklessness are sometimes a hair's breadth apart. Hyoame would have died alone. But with these four... we might just survive." Those words hinted at something important. Alone, no one could survive. That's why a team was necessary. And within that team, they were gradually building trust. As they ventured deeper into the plains, rocks began dotting the grassland. The four decided to rest in the shadow of one. "Hey, Hyoame." Keisho called out. He wanted to know something about that reckless charge when they defeated the Gnome. "What?" Hyoame answered with an unfazed expression. "Why did you charge at the enemy with no strategy? That was just reckless." At that question, Hyoame's expression changed. His cheerful smile faded, replaced by something more complex. "...I see." He murmured. "Actually, I'm a gambler. I've got guts like nobody else. Because I've lost my entire fortune to gambling more than once." Those words were self-deprecating, yet carried a strange strength. "Games, bets, situations where 'you don't know if you'll win or lose'—I love those. So when the enemy appeared, I instinctively thought 'I can win this.'" Milia listened with a complicated expression. Human instinct—something data and logic couldn't predict. She seemed bewildered by how to fight in that domain. "The intuition of someone who's gambled with their life..." She said quietly. "Yeah. I'm trying to do my life over through this game. I've already lost everything, so there's nothing left to lose. That's why I can be bold." Listening to that story, Keisho thought. (Just how serious is this guy, really?) Mireina interjected. "How romantic. But reality is cruel. Courage alone won't let you survive. What's needed is analysis and observation. And above all—teamwork." Those words were directed at everyone. And they all knew those words were true. After resting, the four resumed their journey through the plains. Something had changed. Through their first real combat, the four had begun—however faintly—to face the same direction. Hyoame's recklessness and courage, Milia's analytical ability, Mireina's calm observation, and Keisho's cold judgment. Each of them compensated for what the others lacked. The sunset painted the plains red. On the way back to Arcadia, the four walked as one. Holding the "earth crystals" they'd obtained from defeating the Gnomes, they felt something crystallize. (And so, a true team began to take shape.) But then— From beyond the plains, Keisho sensed something approaching. An alien presence. It wasn't a Gnome. Something larger. Something far more dangerous. "Everyone, let's head back. Something's coming." At Keisho's words, all four reacted. And they hurried back to Arcadia. That night, in the inn, the four felt it. The battle on the plains had been nothing but a prologue. And the true trial was yet to come.