MMORPG: REBORN MARK ADVENTURE IN ONLINE GAME

The old man's silver gaze lingered on them for a long moment. Then, he let out a quiet sigh, as if coming to a decision.

"You've learned too much."

His voice carried a weight that sent a shiver down Raven's spine. It wasn't a threat—it was a statement of fact.

The old man tapped his staff against the ground.

A pulse of energy rippled through the air, pressing against their bones like the pressure of an unseen hand.

"Because of this knowledge, I can no longer let you walk away without responsibility. You will act. Or you will be consumed."

He raised his hand, and the air grew even heavier.

"I am giving you a task. You must seal Eresh-Tal before it fully awakens."

Raven's mind raced. "What's the time limit?"

The old man's expression remained unreadable. "Ten days."

The words struck like a hammer.

Liz exhaled sharply. "That's barely any time!"

Daniel muttered, "We don't even know what it takes to seal something like that."

Ana clenched her jaw. "There has to be more."

The old man nodded. "You must clear Serpent Dungeon, Hell Mode, Level 3."

A deep silence followed.

Even Mist Low stopped smiling.

Serpent Dungeon – Hell Mode

Serpent Dungeon was already infamous. It was a labyrinth of venomous death, a place filled with creatures that could melt flesh with a single bite, where even the air was poisonous.

And Hell Mode?

Hell Mode was for the insane.

Even in the past, Raven remembered stories of high-level guilds failing at Level 2.

Level 3 was suicide.

Ana's voice was quiet. "That dungeon has wiped out entire guilds."

The old man's gaze was unwavering. "And yet, you must clear it."

Mist Low let out a low laugh. "Of course we must. Because why not?"

The old man ignored his sarcasm. Instead, he turned his full attention to Mist Low.

A Gift for Mist Low

For the first time since their conversation began, there was something almost… amused in the old man's gaze.

"You. Trickster."

Mist Low blinked. "Me?"

The old man chuckled. "You are an anomaly, even among your kind."

Raven frowned. His kind?

Before anyone could question it, the old man lifted his staff. A faint glow emanated from his palm, forming a small, dark object. It hovered for a moment before slowly drifting toward Mist Low.

Mist Low caught it instinctively. His golden eyes narrowed as he turned it over in his fingers.

A black card.

No markings. No name. No symbols. Just pure, void-like darkness.

"A Trickster should always have an escape route," the old man murmured. "That will grant you one."

Mist Low stared at it for a long moment. Then, ever so slowly, his grin returned.

"A get-out-of-jail-free card?" He flipped it between his fingers. "Now that is my kind of reward."

The old man said nothing else.

Instead, he turned back to Raven.

"Ten days."

And with that, he vanished.

Leaving them alone.

With an impossible task.

Mist Low twirled the black card between his fingers, watching how the void-like glow shifted across its surface. His golden eyes gleamed with something unreadable, something dangerous.

Then, he laughed.

Not his usual chuckle.

No, this was something lower.

Something that sent an unseen chill through the air.

A slow, creeping sound that slithered through the silence, curling around them like an invisible noose.

Liz's fingers twitched toward her daggers.

Ana took a half-step back, gripping her staff tighter.

Even Daniel's usual laid-back stance shifted slightly, his weight repositioning—ready to move.

And Raven?

Raven just watched.

His expression remained unreadable, but his hand hovered near his dagger, an instinct more than a decision.

Mist Low's grin stretched wider. He let the black card flick between his fingers, rolling it back and forth like a gambler testing fate. "Ohhh… I like this."

Then—he glanced up.

And froze.

Ana and Liz were staring at him.

Their gazes weren't outright hostile, but there was an undeniable wariness in them.

For a moment, the silence stretched.

Then—just like that—he flipped the switch.

The eerie grin vanished, replaced by his signature playful smirk.

His entire demeanor shifted like a mask slipping into place.

"Ladies, please—your stares wound me!"

He pressed a hand to his heart, staggering back like a tragic hero struck by betrayal. "I assure you, I am still the same roguish charmer you both adore."

Liz didn't move. "You just laughed like a serial killer."

Mist Low sighed dramatically, tossing the black card into the air before catching it effortlessly. "What can I say? Mysterious artifacts have a way of… exciting me."

Ana arched a brow. "Exciting? You sounded like you were about to eat someone's soul."

Mist Low tapped his chin, pretending to think. "Hmmm. You may have a point." Then, he grinned again. "But between you and me, wouldn't that just make me more interesting?"

Liz exhaled sharply through her nose. "No. It makes you more annoying."

Mist Low took a step closer, just enough to invade her space. "Ah, Lizzie, my dear—twice in the span of a minute? Are you trying to break my heart?"

Liz didn't even blink. "If I was, you'd know."

Mist Low placed a hand over his chest, as if struck by an arrow. "A woman after my own soul-crushing standards. Truly, I have excellent taste."

Ana, watching this ridiculous exchange, rubbed her temple. "Why do I feel like this is going to be a problem?"

Mist Low winked. "Because everything involving me is either a problem or a delight. No in-between."

Daniel, who had been silent this whole time, finally let out a slow, exaggerated breath. "So. We gonna stand here all day flirting, or are we dealing with the whole abyss demon seal or everyone dies situation?"

Mist Low turned to him, smiling innocently. "Multitasking, my dear Daniel. You should try it sometime."

Raven, having had enough of this nonsense, exhaled and turned away.

"We're wasting time."

That cut through the conversation like a blade.

Mist Low's smirk lingered, but there was something more calculating beneath it now. He twirled the black card one last time, then tucked it into his inventory.

"Fine, fine. But if this little abyss adventure ends in flames, just remember—I have an escape route."

His golden eyes flickered back to the black card.

And for just a second—his grin turned unreadable.