Isaac woke up slowly, his mind already turning over his situation. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, stood up, and splashed cold water on his face from the basin to fully wake himself.
He still felt a bit irritated by the innkeeper's claim that the room was worth a whole gold coin. The space was small and bare, with a rough wooden bed topped by a thin, scratchy blanket. Even if it was far better than the cold, hard ground outside, in his book this wasn't worth a whole gold coin.
"That crazy old hag is clearly overcharging that girl—one gold for this room? Ridiculous. Though running an inn at the edge of the Whispering Forest? That's crazy enough."
The cold splash did little to clear his thoughts.
He pulled on his still-damp shirt, frowning. He'd left it near the hearth to dry, but despite wringing out the mud and dirt last night, it remained stubbornly damp. As he buckled his belt and shrugged on his cloak, his mind drifted.
No coin. No supplies. All because he'd stopped to help her.
"Someone crazier than that old hag is the girl who actually paid one gold for this room."
Kassie's voice echoed in his mind: "But still, it's my home! I want to return and reclaim it!"
He shook his head. She's insane. Best to go their separate ways. Yet her words lingered, striking a chord he didn't want to acknowledge. He too longed to return to Urcole Barony—to reclaim his home and lay flowers on his parents' graves.
Lost in thought, he headed down the inn's creaking stairs. "I can at least offer to escort her to Arvandale. It's safer there. Then we part ways."
To his surprise, he found Kassie busy waiting tables. She looked up and smiled.
"Good morning, Isaac!" Kassie beamed, carrying a tray of food toward a guest.
Isaac blinked, watching her bustle between tables. "What... are you doing now?"
"Come sit down and have your breakfast," she said, practically pushing him into a chair. As she did, she noticed the dampness on his cloak. "Why are your clothes wet?"
"It's nothing. I'll be fine," he muttered, settling down reluctantly.
"That won't do," she said brightly. With a snap of her fingers, a faint shimmer sparkled through the air. His clothes—were suddenly spotless and dry.
Isaac raised an eyebrow, glancing down at his now immaculate tunic and cloak. "What was that?"
"It worked! I tried it on myself earlier, but my clothes caught fire." She grinned sheepishly. "My school uniform basically turned into ash this morning."
Just then, Isaac felt an uncomfortable heat on his back.
He sniffed.
Smoke.
A faint sizzle.
Pffft.
A tiny flame flared up—and a small, smoldering hole appeared in his cloak.
Isaac slowly turned his head and stared at it. "...Seriously?"
Kassie let out a squeak and immediately grabbed the water jug off the table, dousing him with a full splash over the head.
"Woops, sorry!" apologizing for both the small hole in his cloak and getting him more wet.
Isaac sat there dripping, eyes half-lidded. "Please stay fifty feet away from me."
Kassie gave a sheepish laugh. "My bad! Spell hasn't worked well. I'll go get your breakfast—be right back!"
Isaac rubbed his temples, watching the walking human hazard disappear into the kitchen. He looked at his cloak that was now damper than before but still it was clean except for the new burnt hole. Moments later, she returned, balancing a plate of toasted bread, fried egg, and seared mushrooms, which she set down in front of him.
"Why are you serving food now? Aren't you guest here that paid two gold coins for a night stay at this inn?"
Kassie perked up and slid into the seat across from him, grinning proudly. "I've decided to become the innkeeper's business partner! She said if I invested in the inn, I could stay and help run the place."
Isaac stared at her. Then at the innkeeper, who was happily polishing a small bag of gold coins behind the counter.
"You're insane," he said flatly. "You're staying at the edge of the Whispering Forest... to run an inn?"
Kassie nodded, completely unbothered. "Of course! The innkeeper told me this is the safest place around. No monsters. No bandits. Just peaceful forest sounds."
Behind her, as though it was on cue, one of the support beams groaned ominously, dust flaking from the ceiling.
"And all it took was 30 gold coins," she added proudly. "Isn't that a steal?"
Isaac gawked. "30?!" looking at the entire building he was certain it was worth that much.
"Right! Just 30 Gold coins!" Kassie smiled, clearly pleased with herself. In her mind, this was a foolproof plan. All she had to do was stay here until the vending machine unlocks up to level ten and she can get the dimensional teleportation scroll. In her head there was no need to leave at all and risk her life on the road.
Isaac however slumped back in his chair in complete disbelief. She must be a sheltered noble... She had no idea what gold was worth. As a C-rank adventurer, he'd have to work for a year to earn a third of that.
"Well, if that's your decision," he said finally, standing. This was a good thing. Earlier, he'd felt obligated to keep her safe—but if she was choosing to stay behind, he wasn't stupid enough to hang around a crumbling inn just to babysit.
"I won't keep you. I'm heading out."
"What? Already?" Kassie frowned. "At least eat something before you go." She slid the plate toward him. "I already paid for it."
"I don't have time. I need to move before the roads get dark." He stood and walked away.
"But it'll go to waste!"
"Then you eat it."
"But I already ate!"
A quiet voice cut through the moment. "Excuse me... if you're not eating that, would it be alright if I did?"
Both Isaac and Kassie turned. A thin, pale young man on the next table stared at the food drooling, clutching a potted stick with trembling arms. His clothes were ragged, his breath shallow. His wide, sunken eyes spoke of exhaustion, and his entire frame looked ready to collapse.
"Who are you?" Isaac asked, voice laced with suspicion.
"I'm—" The man barely got the words out before his knees gave out, and he collapsed to the floor with a faint thud.
"Oh my goodness, he fainted!" Kassie gasped, rushing to his side.
She dropped to her knees, eyes widening as recognition dawned.
No way...
It was him. The Great Healer of the Northern Peaks - Hans.
In the game, Hans was another legendary character known for his connection to the Manalara Tree, a rare and powerful tree that grew in the far north of Isaac's territory in the future. Its bark—metallic and nearly indestructible—could only be smelted with dragon's breath. It was the key ingredient in crafting legendary weapons: the Warlord's Sword, the Titan Builder's Hammer, the Great Healer's Staff, the Tyrant Elf King's Arrows.
The material used to defeat the final boss.
But what was he doing here? Shouldn't he be in the northern peaks, tending the ancient tree?
Her gaze dropped to the fragile twig in the small pot cradled in his arms.
In the game's storyline, the Manalara Tree was a towering giant—its roots wrapped around mountains, its branches touching the clouds.
Now, it was just a sapling.
There was no doubt in her mind anymore.
Kassie had reincarnated before the game's actual timeline had even started.
Hans recovered quickly after gulping down what he thought was a simple glass of water.
In reality, it was a concoction of health and mana potions Kassie had mixed in secret.
"Thank you so much for the food, kind traveler," Hans said, wiping his mouth and bowing gratefully toward Isaac. "I am Hans, the woodsman's son from Grayridge Village. I've traveled far on a mission for my father. He tasked me with exchanging our village's lumber for grain and seeds to help our people through the winter. And through my adventure I learned - "
Isaac stood, clearly ready to leave.
"Wait—no! Where are you going?" Hans asked, alarmed. "Don't you want to hear my story?"
"Not really," Isaac replied flatly.
Kassie frowned. "Don't be so heartless, Isaac. We should listen to what he has to say."
Isaac shot her a look. "Again with this we business. You keep acting like we're a team or something."
Hans clutched the small potted twig close to his chest, eyes wide. "Please... I've traveled for weeks without anyone to talk to. I've started hearing the sapling's voice just to keep myself company. Please—just let me finish."
"You can hear it? It said that people with high affinity to nature can hear the manalara tree!" Kassie looked at him in awe.
Isaac feeling annoyed at her sudden enthusiasm for this stranger, "Not that it's my business, but weren't you supposed to exchange your lumber for food? Why are you carrying around a twig?"
Hans gasped. " A traveling monk gifted this to me after I exchange our lumber to help build a Temple. It's not a twig - It's a Manalara Tree!"
The surrounding patrons, who had been eavesdropping with increasing amusement, broke into laughter.
"A Manalara tree? That tiny stick?"
"Boy, you've been swindled!"
"What'd the guy who gave it to you look like? Did he also offer you magical beans that grows overnight?"
"Don't you know a real Manalara Tree has branches that reach the sky?"
"I heard one tree's roots were big enough to shelter an entire village!"
"And the bark resonates like metal when struck. That thing you've got? Looks more like kindling."
A mix of sarcastic jabs and sympathetic chuckles echoed through the room.
Hans looked down at the little twig, his face pale and stricken. "You're all wrong... I traded all of my village's lumber for this sapling..."
Kassie tilted her head, blinking. Unlike the others, she saw it clearly—it really was a Manalara sapling. She'd grown one in the game. She knew what it looked like.
"It is a Manalara tree," she said calmly. "It's just a sapling right now, but—"
"Oh yeah?" one of the patrons interrupted. "You wanna bet on it? I've got a mana stone right here. If that thing's really a Manalara, it'll absorb the mana and grow. If it doesn't... it's just a twig."
Kassie's eyes lit up. "You're on."
"Wait—what are you doing entering bets!? You just gave away 30 gold coins to that inn keeper" Isaac snapped.
"Huh? This is the easiest fifty gold I'll ever earn!" The muscular sneaky patron smirked.
The man placed the mana stone against the sapling. Everyone leaned in.
The stone glowed briefly... then dimmed. Completely drained.
The room went silent.
"W-what!? How is that possible?" the man stammered, stumbling back a step. "It actually absorbed it?"
Kassie folded her arms with a smug tilt of her chin. "Told you. It's a Manalara sapling."
"You—you must've cheated! It didn't even grow an inch!"
"What are you talking about? That mana stone was too small. Here—watch this."
She pretended to reach into her bag but secretly opened her system inventory, with a dramatic flourish, began pulling out bottle after bottle of shimmering liquid. Soft blue glows pulsed from the glass as she lined up five full vials.
The Inn's guest eyes widen. Even Isaac was taken a back where did she pull those vials from.
"Where did she get all that?" someone whispered.
"Are those... mana potions?"
"Those aren't just mana potions—those are high-grade!"
"Who in their right mind pours out that much like it's water?!"
Kassie, unfazed, uncorked the first bottle and began pouring it into the soil around the sapling with slow, deliberate care. The rich, glowing liquid sank into the roots, and a subtle shimmer began to spread up the thin trunk like veins of starlight. As she emptied the second and third bottle, the air around the pot pulsed with quiet energy, the scent of ozone and crushed herbs curling through the tavern.
Then, as the fourth potion soaked in, the sapling twitched.
Gasps erupted all around.
Its bark gave off a faint metallic gleam, and a single glowing leaf—brilliant green edged with silver—unfurled with an elegant stretch, like it was waking from a long sleep.
The room fell into stunned silence.
Even the fire in the hearth seemed to crackle more quietly, as if not daring to interrupt.
Kassie stepped back, crossing her arms looking proudly at the glowing leaf that unfurled.
"Told you. It's a Manalara sapling."
She sounded calm, but even she was impressed. In the game, the first leaf didn't appear until you poured 100 basic mana potion.
Someone finally exhaled. "...No way."
"It moved! It actually moved!"
"And that glow... it's exactly how the legends describe it."
"It's real. So that's how the a Manalara Sapling looks like —it's real."
Another voice, hoarse with disbelief, muttered, "Forget the tree—who is that girl? She just summoned more mana potion out of thin air!"
A few patrons took a cautious step away from Kassie.
"She's not normal..."
"She might be a royal mage undercover."
"No—an ancient spirit in disguise!"
"She's probably cursed. They always look harmless before they explode or something."
Meanwhile, Hans stared at the leaf with tears welling in his eyes. "It... it really is a Manalara Tree. I thought I failed my village..."
"You didn't know it needed mana?" Kassie asked, blinking.
"I've just been watering it with river and spring water..."
Isaac groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It needs a lot of mana. That's why you look half-dead—it's been draining your mana."
Hans blinked. "So... that's why I've been so tired?"
Isaac nodded grimly. "And worse, if it doesn't get enough mana, it'll start absorbing it from dungeon monsters. And they will see it as a threat."
Hans suddenly perked up. "Oh! That must explain why the male Nyxwing attacked me!"
"You fought a Nyxwing?" someone gasped.
"Don't worry!" Hans said brightly. "I burned its nest. That should keep it busy rebuilding for a while- "
"You what!?" Isaac grabbed him by the collar.
"I thought that's what you do with birds! You burn the nest so they leave!"
Isaac's eye twitched. "Did you burn the nest inside the cave?"
"Yes? Is that bad?"
Isaac stared at him in disbelief. "You idiot! Don't you know those things hold grudges!?"
Before anyone could respond, the inn's door burst open.
A breathless patron stumbled in, panic etched across his face.
"Innkeeper! This is bad—really bad! Look at the sky!"
Everyone scrambled to the nearest window. Outside, the sky had darkened. A deep, unnatural shade.
Kassie rushed to the window. Her eyes widened in horror.
A horde of female Nyxwings—massive, black-feathered creatures with glowing red eyes —had filled the sky. They were descending fast, a living storm heading straight for the inn.
The tavern erupted into chaos.
Screams rang out. Chairs crashed to the floor. One man cried, "We're cursed!" while another dove under a table, clutching a tankard like a holy relic.
Kassie spun toward Isaac, panic in her voice. "Weren't they lazily sleeping in the cave!"
Isaac's expression was flat, his eyes locked accusingly at Hans "Yeah, well, when someone smokes out their house, they tend to flock to the one who did it."
Hans dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms protectively around the tiny glowing sapling, swallowing hard as the color drained from his face.
The innkeeper leapt onto the counter, slamming a ladle against a pot. The clang ringing out like a war drum. She commanded the room with the force of a seasoned general.
"LISTEN UP!" she roared, silencing the tavern in an instant. Even the Nyxwings' screeches outside seemed to pause.
"We stand on the edge of doom. Wings of darkness blot out the sky. But in moments like this... heroes are forged!"
A hush fell across the tavern. Some reached for knives. A drunk man punched the air.
The innkeeper drew a deep, solemn breath.
"There is only one time-honored strategy..."
She paused, raised a hand. The sun flickered over her determined face.
"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"
She sprang down, snatched her bag of gold, grabbed a bundle of clothes—and with surprising grace, hurled a panicked "Thank you for your loyal patronage! No refunds!"
She vaulted off the counter, grabbing her crate of dried sausages, her life savings, including Kassie's gold coins—and an absurdly large pair of bloomers that billowed like a battle flag as she fled.
"Wait! Inn keeper what about our partnership!? My investment!? " Kassie called out.
Chaos exploded once more as the panic crowd stampede to the door
"RUUUUUN!"