She walked back to the broken opening and reached inside, fingers closing around the hilt. As she pulled the sword free, she adjusted the new clothes properly, the fabric settling naturally against her body.
"This really fits me perfectly," she said quietly.
She was now wearing an earth toned outfit that felt both light and sturdy. A hooded brown cloak rested over her shoulders, trimmed with delicate white patterns along the edges. Beneath it was a layered ruffle skirt with subtle fringe accents that moved softly when she walked. Her legs were protected by tall leather boots, tightly laced and clearly made for travel and combat.
The sword whistled.
"Dayum, girl! You look good."
She didn't respond.
Her gaze shifted forward, locking onto the spider still pacing just beyond the invisible barrier.
"I have to exit this place…," she said, more to herself than to him.
"Right, right," the sword replied.
"You mentioned earlier you've got a son, yeah? Still kinda wild though. You look like you barely grew up yourself. Guess people here start early, huh?"
A faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
She turned sharply.
"I adopted him," she snapped.
"I'm not like what you're thinking, pervert."
Without warning, she threw the sword toward the wall.
It stopped midair.
She froze.
The blade hovered, tilting slightly as if shrugging.
"Oh, yeah forgot to tell you." the sword said with a laugh.
"I can move on my own. Fly too apparently. Pretty cool, right?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"Then why were you stuck inside that hole?"
"Ah," he replied.
"The moment you pulled me out, I got registered as your sword. After that, I noticed I could move freely."
She stared at him, shock written plainly on her face.
"…Did you peek," she asked slowly, "while I was changing?"
There was a pause.
"Well I mean— technically—"
She lunged.
Her fist barely missed as the sword zipped upward.
"HEY—! Calm down!" he shouted, darting side to side as she chased him.
"I didn't see anything important!"
She swung again, teeth clenched.
"No time to fight!" he quickly added.
"Go check the chest. The other stuff in there is your's too!"
She stopped.
Turned.
Gave him a long, cold look.
"Fine, but I'll not forgot this."
Then she walked back toward the chest, boots echoing softly against the stone floor.
She crouched in front of the chest again and gathered the remaining green bottles, slipping them carefully into her waist bag.
"I'll save these," she muttered.
"Never know when I'll need them."
Her hand paused over the leather pouch.
"What's in here…?"
She loosened the string and peeked inside.
Her eyes widened.
Coins. Heavy ones. Gold.
"That's—" She froze for a second, then looked up.
"Money…?"
The sword floated closer.
"Players get five gold coins at the start. Not much if you're playing, but for buying food or basic stuff? It's more than enough."
She stared at the pouch, fingers tightening around it.
"…Can I really take this?"
"It's yours," he replied immediately. "Belongs to you."
Her shoulders relaxed just a little. A small, genuine smile appeared on her face.
"This will be a really big help."
She closed the pouch and then reached for one of the fruits left in the chest. The skin was smooth, cool to the touch. She took a bite.
Juice burst across her tongue.
"It's so fresh," she said softly. "And sweet."
"Hey, that's unfair," the sword complained.
"I wanna eat too. Too bad I'm a sword. No mouth and can't feel hungry. Really tragic."
She ignored him and finished the fruit, then sat down slowly, resting for the first time since the fall.
Her gaze lifted.
The spider was still there, claws scraping against the invisible barrier, eyes locked onto her.
Her jaw tightened.
"That thing…" she said, anger creeping into her voice.
"It almost killed me and it still won't leave."
The sword drifted beside her.
"Yeah. It's A-5 rank. A C-7 rank like you can't do much alone."
She turned sharply.
"How do you know my rank?" she asked.
"I didn't show you my badge."
He sounded smug. "I still see the world as a game. You're still an NPC, so I can just appraise you."
She looked down at her hands.
"What even is an NPC…"
He coughed. "If I explain, you'll get offended. Just assume you're not the big shot here."
Her eyebrow twitched.
"What? A sword is telling me he's a big shot?"
"I'm just a sword," he said proudly. "But I'm C-5 level two ranks higher than you."
She clicked her tongue. "That's just because this stupid game thing made you strong from starting."
"Are you jealous~?" He asked with a mocking voice.
"No way!" She replied.
He laughed, then grew serious.
"Still, I can't beat that thing alone too. We'll have to go two versus one."
She stared at the spider again.
"Can two C-ranks really kill something like that…?"
The sword tilted, confidence seeping into his voice.
"Hehe. Don't underestimate someone who has finished the whole game."
He hovered closer.
"I'll make a plan."