The first global event of Dream Land Online had finally arrived.

  It was a defense mission, each starter town across the world bracing for a coordinated monster invasion. For competitive players, it was a chance to prove themselves, to climb the ranks and be seen. For native inhabitants, though, it was something else entirely.

  It was worrisome.

  Not panic. Just... uneasy.

  Most believed the towns would remain protected by the Goddess herself. After all, during the catastrophe that struck the world just a day before the game launched, no monsters had breached the town walls.

  Except in Stellar.

  That exception still lingered like smoke after a fire.

  The monsters hadn’t come from outside during that incident, they had appeared inside the town. And no one had forgotten.

  Then came the message from the Administrator:

  【Due to your presence, the protection on Stellar cannot be strengthened.】

  【However, the type of protection has been swapped.】

  【Monsters will no longer appear inside the town.】

  【But they can now enter from outside.】

  In the lord’s office, Lyra pinched the bridge of her nose as Cryssa and Ayla finished delivering the report.

  “So in the end,” she muttered, “I still have to hire mercenaries to defend the town.”

  She let out a slow breath, the tension clear in her posture.

  “...I’m sorry.”

  Ayla, in her ghost-like form, dipped her head slightly. The blame lay with her. Her presence in Stellar had altered the protective mechanics of the divine barrier.

  But Lyra quickly shook her head.

  “Huh? No, no. I don’t blame you, Ayla. If anything... I have a request.”

  Ayla looked up, tilting her head.

  “A request?”

  Lyra nodded, her tone soft but firm.

  “Your player form can be resurrected after death, right? And it doesn’t affect Cryssa at all?”

  “I haven’t exactly tested it,” Ayla admitted, “and I don’t plan to die either, but that’s what the Administrator said.”

  That clarification had come just after the festival parade the week before. While the resurrection system only applied when Ayla was in control of the body, the Administrator confirmed that Cryssa wouldn’t be harmed if Ayla were to die and respawn.

  Still, the idea of dying, even as a player, felt mortifying to Ayla, especially when she currently held the title of strongest player in the game. It wasn’t just about her mastery of Advanced Mode. It was her level too. She ground her levels near Selini, where E-rank monsters roamed and offered more experience than the low-tier F-rank creatures near Stellar’s outskirts.

  Because of that, Frostina now sat comfortably at the top of the level leaderboard.

  ? Level Leaderboard ?

  Lyra let out a faint chuckle.

  “Yes. Don’t go getting yourself killed. I’d still worry if anything happened to Cryssa.”

  Cryssa puffed out her cheeks.

  (“You’re still treating me like a kid, Sis.”)

  Lyra turned and offered her a warm smile.

  “That’s different. Whether you are younger or older than me, I’ll always worry when my only sister might die.”

  Ayla couldn’t help but smile at their familiar banter. It must be nice, she thought, to have someone who worries about you like that.

  “So,” she asked, “what’s the request?”

  Lyra’s expression sobered.

  “Ah, right. It’s simple. Just don’t let Cryssa take control of the body on the day of the event. She might charge at the monster horde recklessly again.”

  (“Sis!”)

  Cryssa’s voice leapt an octave higher in protest, but Lyra met her with a hard glare.

  “What? Do you think I wasn’t shocked when I found out you’d called for help right before that explosion? If I had known B-rank monsters had appeared in Selini, I would’ve kept you in Stellar.”

  Cryssa’s shoulders slumped.

  (“Th-That was Iori’s fault!”)

  Lyra raised an eyebrow.

  “How can you blame someone who literally saved your life?”

  (“Ugh…!”)

  Cryssa groaned as she was defeated, and Ayla laughed softly at their exchange.

  “Actually, that’s something I wanted to bring up. I’d like to join the event too.”

  Lyra didn’t hesitate.

  “Granted.”

  Cryssa gawked.

  (“H-Hey! How come you just say yes to her and tell me I can’t join the fun?!”)

  Lyra shrugged, feigning innocence.

  “Because she can resurrect. And the Administrator guaranteed her safety. So it’s double protection for you. But what if you take over the body and die? You can’t come back. And she might die too.”

  She leaned in slightly, her voice quiet but piercing.

  “Do you really want her to follow you into the afterlife?”

  (“I—ugh... I’m sorry...”)

  Cryssa muttered, shrinking.

  Lyra sighed, her tone softening.

  “It’s not that I’m forbidding you. I’m just saying, if your skill ever reaches Iori’s level, I’ll give you full freedom. Even if you want to travel the world with Ayla.”

  Cryssa’s eyes lit up. She leaned in closer, her voice hopeful.

  (“Really?!”)

  Lyra smiled and nodded.

  “Of course. You’re the commander of the Starlace Order. If you don’t lead them, then who will?”

  “In fact, I was about to ask you to help restore the teleportation portals across the kingdom.”

  Cryssa’s expression turned radiant, her resolve snapping into place.

  (“Deal! I’ll train harder starting today!”)

  Lyra’s sky-blue eyes softened as she watched her sister’s face light up with determination. The warmth of the moment lingered for a beat before she turned her gaze toward Ayla, her tone growing contemplative.

  “But I’m curious,” Lyra said. “Why do you want to join the event? Do you… still see this world as just a game?”

  The question caught Ayla off guard.

  “Huh? No, no! It’s not like that at all!” she blurted, her voice rushed and flustered. “It’s just…”

  She fell silent, gaze drifting toward the glowing leaderboard still hovering nearby.

  “I want revenge,” she said softly. “On the people who killed me in my past life.”

  Lyra and Cryssa both fell silent, stunned by the quiet weight of her confession.

  To them, Ayla had always seemed like a carefree girl. Even Cryssa, who shared her body, had never suspected something so heavy lay buried beneath that calm, playful exterior.

  Ayla scratched the back of her head, letting out a nervous laugh.

  “Ah… That probably sounds childish, right? Ahaha…”

  But Lyra shook her head, her smile gentle. Her voice was calm but firm as she replied.

  “Did you know? I never once regretted killing my husband with my own hands. In fact, I’m glad I got the chance to do it. I understand how it feels to carry something like that. So… I support your decision.”

  Cryssa crossed her arms, nodding in agreement.

  (“If I were you, I probably would've PK’d them a hundred times over by now.”)

  Then she grinned.

  (“It must be frustrating to not be able to do anything to them in the real world. But that’s why you must absolutely mess them up here!”)

  She turned to Lyra, her expression sharpening.

  (“And Sis, they’re players who monopolize entire regions in the future. They take half of the loot other players earn from monsters. They even charge outrageous taxes just to use teleportation portals. They’re parasites! Slowing everyone else down just so they can stay on top.”)

  Lyra’s expression grew cold with thought. She looked back at Ayla.

  “Then that’s all the more reason to support you. Players are the only ones who can save this world without mass casualties. If a few have to be held back for the sake of the many, then I see no problem with that.”

  Ayla blinked, surprised.

  She looked between Lyra and Cryssa, still trying to process their unwavering support. Back on Earth, whenever people talked about revenge, others brushed it off. Said it was immature, pointless.

  But here, in Oneira…

  They understood.

  More than that, they stood with her.

  She turned away, trying to hide the heat rising in her cheeks.

  “Thank you…”

  Lyra smiled again.

  “So, who are they? Just say the word, and I’ll use every coin and authority I have to back you.”

  To Lyra, Ayla was already part of Stelluna. Maybe not on the same level as Cryssa or Roxy, but still someone important. Someone worth protecting. Someone who had saved Stelluna once already. Lyra was more than ready to invest time, resources, even gold if it meant helping her.

  Ayla turned her gaze back to the top hundred rankings on the level leaderboard.

  It had changed.

  The rankings were different from what she remembered during the game’s first week. Now, a surprising number of the top 100 players had usernames that sounded feminine, and came from a variety of races. Likely a result of the Starlace Order’s growing popularity since launch.

  Even Ayla was caught off guard when she saw Silica in second place, just beneath her.

  In her past life, Silica hadn’t taken the game seriously until six months in, when the developers announced the first Dream Land world championship for their first anniversary event. But even with a late start, Silica had risen fast. She’d become the leader of an all-female guild that eventually ranked fourth globally. One of the few guilds bold enough to challenge the top three powers directly.

  Ayla had never held any grudge against her. In fact, she admired her. If Silica had taken the game seriously from the very beginning, they might have even fought side by side.

  Ayla made a mental note to ask Cryssa about inviting Silica to the Starlace Order later.

  Her eyes scanned the rest of the leaderboard.

  There were familiar names sprinkled throughout, players who had joined the major guilds that dominated the game in her previous life.

  But only one name held her attention now.

  He was the leader of the number one guild in her previous life, a player feared and hated in equal measure. Coldly strategic, relentlessly ruthless, and shielded by the kind of wealth that let him bend the game to his will.

  Anyone who stood against him never got a fair fight. He paid others to do his dirty work, hiring skilled players with real-world money to stalk, sabotage, and crush anyone who stood in his path.

  He didn’t just lead a guild, he ruled the game like a tyrant in a kingdom he bought with blood and gold.

  He had orchestrated more grief and control than any other player she had known. And now, there he was, already climbing the leaderboard again.

  Ranked fourth.

  Ayla narrowed her eyes.

  That name still echoed like a curse.

  “His name is… FireFlame.”