Chapter 03

"Where?!" Kaede shouted, sprinting toward the ruined chamber's entrance. The passage was completely blocked by rubble and cooled slag.

But she didn’t stop. Her eyes flicked back to the glowing screen, dreading the possibility that its message might change.

---

Would you like to add Vivi Hachibana to your party?

| Yes | No |

---

It hadn’t disappeared.

"That can only mean one thing!" Kaede cried, frantically pulling away chunks of rock. "Vivi is alive! Somehow, she's still alive!"

"Add her!" she commanded, her hands working furiously to clear the debris. "Add Vivi Hachibana to my party!"

---

Vivi Hachibana has been added to your party

---

"Cover move!" Kaede shouted as she vanished in an instant.

A deafening explosion followed as the debris blocking the entrance erupted outward, shattered by the force of her sudden reappearance within the wreckage. Dust and rubble filled the air, but Kaede stood firm, her body shielding something—someone.

As the dust settled, her eyes locked onto the figure beneath her.

Vivi.

Kaede’s breath caught in her throat. "Wounded" was an understatement.

Vivi’s body was a mess of deep gashes and burns, her once-pristine clothing torn and soaked in blood. But the worst of it—Kaede's stomach twisted at the sight—her entire arm had been severed, sliced clean off at the shoulder. The wound still oozed, blood pooling beneath her limp form. Her skin was pale, too pale, drained of warmth and color.

And yet—Kaede’s eyes darted to the subtle rise and fall of Vivi’s chest.

"She's alive," Kaede whispered, her voice trembling with relief. "She's actually alive…"

A faint shimmer caught her attention, drawing her gaze above Vivi’s head. A green diamond icon floated there, marking her as a party member.

"That's right!" Kaede quickly focused on the symbol, and an interface materialized before her.

---

Name: Vivi Hachibana. LV: 1

Job class : None^

HP: 13 / 270. MP: 45 / 370.

STATUS: Weakened {Extreme}, Bleed {Extreme}, Burn {Medium}

STR: 18

VIT: 9

AGI: 15

DEX: 18

INT: 37

Physical Damage Resistance: 0%

EQUIPMENT:

None

None

Termite Dress (Broken) (+5 to fire abilities)

SKILLS:

Fire Generation

---

Kaede's jaw clenched as she read the status. She didn't need the interface to tell her that Vivi was on the verge of death. She was barely hanging on, bleeding out fast.

Kaede moved quickly, ripping open her inventory and pulling out a healing potion. She pressed it to Vivi’s lips, tilting her head up just enough to let a few drops trickle into her mouth.

"Come on, Vivi… stay with me," Kaede murmured, watching for any sign of improvement.

---

Hp: 213/270

---

“Holy shit… and that was just a low potion.” Kaede smiled in awe.

Back in New World Online, Maple had always been a character with incredibly low health, meaning even a small potion was enough to fully restore her.

It seemed Vivi, now at level one, shared the same quirk. Kaede watched as color slowly returned to Vivi’s face, her once-pale complexion regaining some warmth.

The cuts on Vivi’s body sealed shut almost instantly, leaving no scars behind. But the most astonishing sight was her missing arm, regenerating right before Kaede’s eyes.

“No way…” Kaede whispered, barely believing what she was seeing.

She quickly pulled up her inventory, scanning through its contents. “Uh… I’ve got just over two hundred low potions and about fifty high potions. Why did I use up all my medium potions during that event?”

Despite her mild frustration, Kaede let out a small chuckle and sat down beside Vivi’s now-upright form. “At least you’re okay,” she murmured, relief washing over her as she reopened her status screen.

---

NAME: Maple. Lv: 1 -> 7

HP: 2000/2000 -> 2700/2700.

MP: 270/270 -> 340/340

STATUS

STR: 24 -> 31. VIT: 20430 -> 20437.

AGI: 19 -> 26. DEX: 23 -> 30. INT: 19 -> 26.

SP: 14

Physical Damage Resistance: 1700%

EQUIPMENT

New Moon (Dagger) +45 Atk

Night's Facsimile (Shield) + 13500 Vit

Black Rose Armor + 7000 Vit

SKILLS:

Hydra, Devour, Pierce Guard, Bomb Eater, Counter, Quick Change, Indomitable Guardian, Shield Attack, Sidestep Deflect, Meditation, Taunt Inspire, HP Boost (S), MP Boost (S), Heavy Body, Green's Grace, Great Shield Mastery X, Cover Move X, Cover, Absolute Defense, Moral Turpitude, Sheep Eater, Hydra Eater, Giant Killing, Psychokinesis, Fortress, Martyr's Devotion, Pandemonium, Heaven's Throne, Nether Nexus, Crystallization, Twisted Resurrection, Machine God, Lure of the deep, Bug Urn Curse, Zone Freeze, Cataclysmic Eruption, Unbreakable Shield, Earth Wielding X, Apex of Authority, Glow of Deliverance, Dark Rebirth, Lava Burst, Magma Infusion, Stoneguard Hide, Molten Core, Volcanic Breath.

---

Kaede smiled to herself. “I leveled up seven times, which means I get two stat points per level. But unlike the game, my stats also increase by one with each level up.”

She rested a hand on her chin, deep in thought. “Aside from my Vitality, all my stats are around the level of a C-rank.”

Back in New World Online, Vitality was the only stat she cared about, an excellent choice for her past self. She wasn’t sure exactly how strong that dungeon boss had been, but the fact that nothing it did even scratched her skin proved just how absurdly high her defenses were.

Still, she sighed. “Looks like I’ll have to break tradition and invest my points in something else this time.”

A sudden shiver ran down her spine. “Ugh, that felt wrong. Like I just killed something inside me… weird.”

Shaking off the feeling, she refocused on her status screen. “Alright, let’s think this through. A Hunter’s best trait is their speed, so Agility is a must. I have a lot of skills that use mana, so I should also raise my Intelligence. What else… Strength? Maybe. Let’s see.”

With 14 stat points to distribute, she made her decision. “I’ll put 5 into Agility, another 5 into Intelligence, and 4 into Strength. I use a shield, so Dexterity isn’t a priority right now.”

---

NAME: Maple. Lv: 7.

HP: 2700 / 2700. MP: 340 / 340.

STATUS

STR: 31 -> 35

VIT: 20437

AGI: 26 -> 31

DEX: 30

INT: 26 -> 31

SP: 0

Physical Damage Resistance: 1700%

---

Kaede exhaled, looking over her updated status. “Not bad. My speed and intelligence are better now, but I still feel like a walking fortress.”

She flexed her fingers, adjusting to the subtle change in her stats. Though she had added points outside of Vitality, she still felt absurdly tanky.

A low groan from beside her caught Kaede’s attention. She turned just in time to see Vivi’s eyes flutter open.

“Ugh… What… happened? Did… we survive?” Vivi’s voice was sluggish, her body still weak from the ordeal.

“Hey, hey, hey.” Kaede leaned closer, her voice gentle but firm. “We survived, okay? We made it. You’re safe, Vivi-san. You’re okay.”

Vivi’s breath hitched as her eyes widened in disbelief. “Kaede… we survived? I… I’m alive?” She sat up suddenly, her hands roaming over her body, searching for wounds that should have been there.

Her fingers trembled as they traced over unbroken skin, no gashes, no burns, no missing arm. She turned to Kaede, her voice barely above a whisper. “Kaede…”

Before Kaede could react, Vivi lunged forward, wrapping her arms tightly around her in a desperate embrace.

“We’re okay!” Vivi whispered, her voice shaking.

Kaede smiled, relief washing over her as she hugged her back just as tightly.

Eventually, they pulled apart, though Vivi’s hands lingered as she checked Kaede for injuries. “How?” she asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.

Kaede hesitated, searching for the right words. “I… I reawakened,” she admitted. “I thought I had died, but then… something just snapped, I guess."

Vivi’s eyes widened in awe. “Are you sure? A reawakening is incredibly rare.”

Kaede nodded. “Yeah. There’s no other way to explain it.”

A slow smile spread across Vivi’s face. “That’s amazing. Congratulations, Kaede! I’m happy for you.”

But then, her expression sobered. “Where are the others? Did anyone else make it?”

Kaede stiffened. The smile on her lips faltered.

“…No,” she said, voice quiet. “You… You were the only one I was able to save in the end.”

Silence hung between them.

Vivi closed her eyes, inhaling deeply before exhaling in a slow, steady breath. “I see…” she murmured. “We all knew what we signed up for when we became Hunters.” When she opened her eyes again, there was no anger, no blame, only quiet acceptance. “We should leave before the boss decides to send more monsters after us.”

Kaede hesitated. Then, with an awkward chuckle, she rubbed the back of her neck. “Uh… About that…”

Vivi frowned. “About what?”

Kaede offered a sheepish smile. “I… may have killed the dungeon boss in my rage.”

Vivi blinked. Once. Twice.

“…I’m sorry, what?”