CHAPTER 51: THE FAIRY

The sun rose slowly, painting the sky with orange and gray hues, a truce in the darkness that enveloped the cursed city.

Eren Vale walked ahead, his steps firm on the cracked stone path that led away from the temple.

The air was lighter, the shadows less dense, as if the bond with Sylha had lifted a veil of curse.

Barovik was near — the HUD flickered with a marker just a few kilometers away.

But Eren, or rather, Lee Min-Jae, was not a man to relax. His cold eyes cut through the horizon, analyzing every bush, every stone like lines of code.

He was the master of the game, and the game was never as simple as it seemed.

Kaela marched by his side, her black fur shining in the sun, her defined muscles pulsing with brute strength.

"It’s too quiet," she said, her deep voice carrying that dominant tone that made the ground tremble.

"I don’t trust it." Morwynn, moving with spider-like precision, wove fine webs around the group, an invisible net that vibrated with every step. "Silence is deceit," she murmured, her faceted eyes glinting with analytical coldness.

Nyssa, always delicate, stayed close to Eren, her liquid form reflecting the sky in sapphire tones.

"But... it’s kind of beautiful, isn’t it?" she said, her voice timid, her large eyes seeking approval, like a girl wanting to please.

Sylha, floating above, laughed loudly, the sound echoing like broken bells.

"Beautiful? HA! It’s just a path, sweetie! But look at this sun, screaming ’you’re amazing!’"

She twirled in the air, her ethereal body now solid enough to display curves that danced with the light, a chaotic goddess with silver mist hair and starry eyes.

"Tamer, have you ever thought of painting this sky? Or burning it? HAHA!"

She stopped suddenly, staring into the void as if she had forgotten what she was saying. Eren ignored the show.

He was Lee Min-Jae, the programmer who lived for exploits, and now, as Eren Vale, he saw the world as a puzzle. And something was out of place.

The system blinked:

[Entity Detected: Unidentified Presence.]

A light shone ahead, and a tiny figure emerged, hovering a few meters away.

It was a fairy, small as the palm of a hand, with translucent wings buzzing like dragonflies. Her green hair shimmered, and her petal tunic seemed to glow with mana.

"Eren Vale!" she exclaimed, her voice sharp, almost musical. "The Tamer who defies the system! I’m impressed, you know? My name is Liriel, and I come in the name of Hagan!"

Eren stopped, his eyes narrowed, cold as ice. Kaela growled, her claws flexed, ready to tear.

"Hagan?" he asked, his voice cutting, with that tone of someone who doesn’t accept rivals.

Morwynn raised a web, the threads vibrating like sensors, ready to capture.

Nyssa shrank back, her large eyes fixed on the fairy, hesitant.

Sylha, on the other hand, shouted:

"Look at that cute thing! Tamer, can I grab her? Or eat her? HAHA!" She floated up to Liriel, her face inches away, her eyes shining with madness. "You’re brilliant, you know?!"

Eren raised his hand, silencing the group. His mind raced, dissecting the situation.

Hagan was a known name — leader of the monster hunters, a high-level NPC in the game.

But Liriel? She wasn’t in the files. He knew the game’s code like the back of his hand, and fairies like her were always bound by contracts.

But the system showed nothing.

[No Contract Detected.]

This was strange. NPCs didn’t act of their own will. So had she been sent by Hagan himself?

"Hagan," he said, his voice cold. "What does he want with me?"

Liriel fluttered her wings, floating closer, her smile bright but with a hint of nervousness.

"A partnership!" she said, her voice sing-song. "Hagan knows about you. A Tamer who faces such strong people? He thinks you can help each other. Hagan wants you on his side."

Eren smiled, but it was a sharp smile, like a hidden blade. Lee Min-Jae knew how to recognize bait.

He pretended to consider, crossing his arms, his gaze fixed on the fairy.

"Partnership, is it? Sounds good. What does he offer?"

His mind, however, worked on another layer.

The system didn’t lie, but it didn’t tell the whole story either.

Kaela snorted, impatient.

"This little fairy’s hiding something. I smell a lie."

Morwynn agreed, the threads of her web vibrating.

"This is abnormal."

Nyssa hesitated, biting her liquid lip.

"But... what if it’s true? Maybe they want to help."

Sylha laughed, spinning in the air.

"Help? HA! This little thing’s plotting, Tamer! Let’s squeeze her until she spills everything!"

She pretended to cry, then laughed again, her ethereal body glowing like a star.

Eren ignored the provocations, his mind cold as steel.

He was the strategist, the player who saw beyond the code. Liriel wasn’t a direct threat, but she wasn’t trustworthy either.

The fact that she didn’t have a contract with Hagan was a sign. In the game, creatures like her needed to be bound by rigid mechanics. But Liriel seemed free, loyal by choice, not by code. That bothered him.

The bond exploit was his secret, a flaw only he knew. If Hagan or The Core knew about it, he was at a disadvantage. And Lee Min-Jae never played at a disadvantage.

"Alright," he said, his voice calm but with a tone that chilled the air. "I’m willing to hear the proposal. But I want details. How did you find me?"

He stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the fairy, like a predator assessing its prey. Liriel laughed, but her wings trembled slightly.

"You’re direct, huh? Hagan knows you’re... special. A Tamer who does impossible things. He wants you. And me? Well, I’m good at finding people!"

She winked, but Eren saw the dodge.

He didn’t buy it.

"No one finds me without reason," he said, his voice sharp as a blade. "If Hagan wants a partnership, he comes to me. Or you give me something concrete now."

The system blinked:

[Intention Analysis Activated.]

It was a remnant of the bond with Morwynn, amplified by Sylha.

He sensed Liriel’s tension, a nervousness hidden under her smile. She wasn’t loyal to Hagan out of obligation, but out of curiosity. That was dangerous. Curiosity meant independence, and independence meant unpredictability.

Kaela advanced, her claws gleaming.

"Speak up, little fairy, or I’ll cut you to pieces."

Morwynn reinforced the web, ready to capture.

Nyssa just watched, shy but alert.

Sylha floated over to Liriel, her face inches from the fairy.

"You’re a cutie, you know that? But if you touch my Tamer, I’ll turn you into stardust!"

She laughed, the sound wavering between threat and playfulness, her misty hair dancing in the air.

Liriel backed away, her wings buzzing.

"Easy, easy! I’m just the messenger! Hagan will meet you in Barovik, alright? Just... come!"

She vanished in a flash of light, leaving only the echo of her voice behind. Eren remained silent, his mind racing, dissecting every word.

He didn’t trust the fairy, nor Hagan. Barovik was the destination, but also a trap.

Everyone wanted a piece of him. But he was Lee Min-Jae, the king of exploits, and no one played better than him.

"Let’s go," he said, his voice cold, his eyes shining with determination.

"Barovik is waiting. And whoever’s watching us will learn not to mess with me."

The group moved on, the path clear but full of promises of danger.

Kaela growled, ready to fight.

Morwynn wove, always vigilant.

Nyssa smiled, shy but loyal.

Sylha laughed, floating like a mad goddess.

And Eren, at the center, was the master, ready to turn the game around.