Clang—

Roar—!

While Moonlit West River’s crew were clowning around like sparrows pecking at seeds, Nana Toki crouched at the corner of a grave mound, eyes sweeping the perimeter like a cold wind over weeds, and pressed her hand down to hush the crowd.

Shh. Don’t talk. Someone else’s boss just dropped, dust still settling like ash.

Not far off, Protagonist Lord lunged with an easy grace, his longsword a silver stream driving hard into the Skeleton King’s chest. Behind Nana, Moonlit West River’s players stiffened as the System chimed with the event completion.

[Ding! The event’s objective is complete. Announcing the final-stage task.]

[Ding! Final-stage task: Root out Shadow’s curse.]

[Task: Kill the Shadow hiding among the players.]

[Reward: Unknown.]

Four chimes rolled across the map like stones skittering on a lake. As the whole server tried to grasp what killing “the Shadow hiding among players” even meant, the four from Moonlit West River with Nana Toki tightened their pupils like drawn bowstrings; their stares at Nana and Nan Jin turned strange, like lantern light warped by fog.

This Treasure Imp did say that level-30 newbie was a hidden class, right?

So…

What’s the final task they posted?

Because she wasn’t a player, Nana Toki couldn’t receive the official System feed; she could only wait, face still as a pond at night, for Moonlit West River to speak.

…

Huh? What’s with those looks?

Arms folded like a barricade, Nana eyed the four and asked, heat first, words second: Is the final task that hard? Why are you all staring at me?

No… it’s not about hard or not anymore.

Closest to Nana, Never-Say-Quit scratched his head like a dog in summer, wrestled with himself, then squeezed his eyes shut and blurted as if diving into cold water: The final task says we players must kill the Shadow clan’s descendant hiding among us. Finish it, and the level cap at eighty-five gets lifted like a seal breaking.

So, you’re going to kill Nan Jin, right?

One hand braced on a weathered tombstone, Nana’s gaze sharpened like a blade edge, suddenly strange as moonlight over graves. You want to try?

She hadn’t expected the event to end like this. She’d thought the finale would be a server-wide boss, thunder shared under one sky. She hadn’t guessed the blade would swing toward Nan Jin.

The result was outside her plan, yet somehow within reason, like a storm that had been brewing over a dark sea. Looks like Aoto Games is hiding something under the floorboards; otherwise, why throw the whole city’s lanterns at one amnesiac?

But why does someone want to kill me?

With most key memories lost, Nan Jin blinked, soft as a fawn in a mist, and asked the nearby players of Moonlit West River: Did I do something wrong? Is that why they want me dead?

N-no, no! Treasure Imp, boss-lady, breathe. We never said we’re doing the final task!

Never-Say-Quit, still panting like a bellows, saw Nana draw a white-jade dagger, and the chill ran up his spine like ice. He scrambled to his feet. We’re not the kind to bite the hand that fed us.

Are you?

Nana gripped Thorn in one hand and pulled the foggy Nan Jin behind her with the other, a hawk winging its fledgling to cover. I don’t buy it.

Humans are born with teeth. In a game world with the leash cut, she couldn’t assume anyone was harmless.

…

The one called Hard-to-Name gaped, words sticking like rice. The task says kill the Shadow’s descendant. Why’s a Treasure Imp guarding her like a rainwall? You two barely even know each other.

We don’t, much. But this little Imp likes guarding her. Problem?

Nan Jin’s life tied into her main quest and side quest like red threads; if those threads snapped, her path would turn to dust.

Hard-to-Name: …

This Treasure Imp’s mind is a maze.

Anyway, big sis, relax. We at Moonlit West River have zero intent to kill your newbie friend.

They’d already hauled in plenty from this event thanks to Nana and Nan Jin; stabbing them in the back would curdle their own tea.

But if you don’t finish the final task, Moonlit West River gets no reward.

Nana weighed the dagger, eyes half-lidded like shutters in rain, watching the four.

She remembered the reward settled after the event ended. Even if Never-Say-Quit promised not to meddle, if Nan Jin lived, their bowls might stay empty.

Never-Say-Quit: …

Wait—that’s how it works?

First time in such an event, Never-Say-Quit truly didn’t know.

B-but even so! Moonlit West River’s a guild with principles. We don’t backstab friends; right, Zhao?

At his shout, the Three-Name-Trouble trio actually straightened and nodded, like reeds that chose not to bend.

Don’t judge us by our daily slouch. In real life, we’re cops. Breaking our word and shanking friends isn’t in our blood. Never-Say-Quit thumped his chest, drums in a valley. Treasure Imp, put a hundred hearts at ease—we’re straight shooters.

…

You’re police?

Shielding Nan Jin, Nana looked them over, doubt a thin frost on her lid.

These jokers didn’t look like badges and blue lights. You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but she couldn’t match this bunch of goofs to the country’s iron backbone.

Of course we’re cops. These days, you claim cop online and you’ll land in a cell. Want me to log off and flash a badge to prove it?

…

Fine. Even if you’re cops—

Bang!

Nana hadn’t finished. A flashy beam lanced from a tombstone like lightning through bone. She leaned back on instinct, body folding like grass in wind, and slipped past it.

Whoosh—

The spell’s aftershock rattled the trees, leaves whispering like shaken coins.

Nana’s head snapped up. From every angle came weird magics, colors streaking like comets through a graveyard sky.

Ambush?!

Boom—

Nana frowned, flicked her dagger, and turned a cluster of glowing spells into rubber balls, batting them away. They splattered against graves and dead trunks like paint in rain.

Sss-sss-sss—

You set me up?

She narrowed her eyes, a falcon locking onto Never-Say-Quit.

No! I don’t even know what’s happening!

Caught in the sudden crossfire, Never-Say-Quit and the others were fogged like sheep in smoke.

After swatting wave after wave, Nana’s impatience flared like a brushfire. She yanked a handful of detonation grenades from her pack and lobbed them around, not caring if Moonlit West River caught a stray ember.

Rumble, rumble—

Thick smoke rolled overhead like storm clouds. Nana used the cover like a cloak and led Nan Jin out of the hornet nest.

She headed southeast, skirting the woods nearest the charnel hill, then took the mountain path, climbing until the map’s edge loomed like a cliff of invisible glass. Only then did she slow, breath steadying like a reed by still water.

Even here, that swarm should struggle to find them fast.

She scanned the area again, patience a lantern in dusk. Safe. Finally, she opened the World channel, hoping for threads she could weave into sense.

[World] Peace-and-Prosperity: Did everyone get the final-task prompt?

[World] Struggling-Salted-Fish: What the heck! I just logged in, and a bunch of folks said they’re gonna kill my Treasure Imp waifu. The task says kill the Shadow’s heir, right? Why kill my waifu?

[World] Couple’s-Hotpot-No-Pot: Official feed says the Shadow’s posing as a player. To finish the event, you gotta kill that player. They posted the player’s coordinates, refresh every five minutes. A few minutes ago, some players checked the marker at the mass grave. They saw the Shadow’s heir hanging with the Treasure Imp, so that scene just now kicked off.

[World] Bearfolk-Timid: It’s over. Treasure waifu’s colluding with the villain. My first love ended like rain on paper!

[World] Shark-You-Soon: Public info: Treasure waifu is with the final target, apparently even in the same party.

[World] Time-Is-Gold-So-Is-Light: Maybe to kill the Shadow’s heir, you gotta kill your own waifu first. Yikes.

[World] Goofy-Under-the-Tree: The devs are forcing us into waifu domestic violence?

[World] Bald-Head-in-the-Crowd: You? Domestic violence? No one still thinks our waifu is weak, right?

[World] Anyone-Can-Be-My-Waifu: What’s our goal!

[World] Anyone-Can-Be-My-Waifu: Purge the curse! Marry the waifu! The Shadow’s heir must die!

[World] Event-Rewards-Are-Mine: Still chit-chatting here? Get on the official site and pull the Shadow heir’s coordinates! Finish the event early, level up—tell me that ain’t sweet!