NPC wa Eiyuu no Yume wo Miru ka? (MMORPG : Elysia Online)

I held up the faintly glowing Mystic Core Fragment in my hand, staring at it with mixed feelings. This item didn't appear in the normal loot list provided by the system. No description, no details... just a shard of black crystal with a faint, unfamiliar aura.

Lyra, who was sitting on a rock cleaning her sword, glanced at me. "So? Is it something rare?" she asked casually.

Celine, who had been busy jotting something down in her notebook, approached to get a closer look. "I've never seen an item like this before... Even in the reference list I've compiled based on all the information gathered from other players, no one has mentioned this."

I frowned. "That means it's not a normal item."

I tried opening the system window to get more information, but as I expected—nothing appeared. It was as if the Mystic Core Fragment wasn't registered in the game's system.

Lyra leaned her sword on her shoulder and stood up with a relaxed pose. "Well, if we don't know what it is, why don't we just sell it?" She grinned widely. "Who knows, maybe there's some crazy collector in town who'd pay a fortune for a rare item."

Celine immediately shook her head. "No! This could be a key item or something related to a hidden mechanic in the game." Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Maybe it's part of a secret event that hasn't been discovered by other players yet!"

I paused for a moment, racking my brain to decide on the next course of action. If this was truly something valuable, selling it wasn't the best option. But if it was something dangerous, keeping it without clear information wasn't a smart move either.

I stared at the Mystic Core Fragment once more before finally saying, "We need to find out more about this thing."

Celine nodded slowly, then reached out her hand toward the crystal shard. "In that case, I'll try something."

She began chanting a spell in a soft voice, her fingers moving in the air, forming a faintly glowing magical pattern. "Arcane Appraisal."

A blue light surrounded the crystal for a moment before shifting into a shimmering purple hue that vibrated. It was as if something was resisting her analysis.

"Tsk, this is weird..." Celine muttered, tightening her grip on her staff. "Normally, this spell can analyze almost any magical item, but this... it feels like something is blocking it."

Lyra leaned forward, staring at the crystal with curiosity. "Maybe because it's not a normal item?" she said half-jokingly. "Or maybe it's cursed?"

I ignored Lyra's joke and stayed focused on Celine. "So, what does that mean?"

Celine sighed, stroking her chin as she thought. "If I had to guess... this item has a high-level magical protection. It might be related to the system of this world, or worse, something we're not supposed to have."

I narrowed my eyes, examining the Mystic Core Fragment more closely. If this was indeed something that couldn't be analyzed by ordinary magic, then the only way to learn more was to find someone with access to deeper information.

But before I could voice my thoughts, a notification window suddenly appeared in front of me:

NewQuest:TracesofMysteryWithintheFragmentNewQuest:TracesofMysteryWithintheFragment

Difficulty: ???

Description: A mysterious crystal shard has been found. Find someone who can uncover its secrets.

Reward: ???

Time: Unlimited

I held my breath for a moment. A new quest? And this time, there wasn't even clear information about its difficulty.

"Oi, Rei," Lyra tapped my shoulder lightly. "Are you seeing this too?"

I nodded slowly. "Yeah. It seems like this isn't something we can just ignore."

Celine stared at the system window floating in front of her, her expression turning serious. "If the system gives a quest without a clear difficulty level, it means there's a good chance this is more dangerous than we think."

I clenched my fist, thinking quickly. The next step had to be decided carefully.

Celine was still staring at the Mystic Core Fragment with an analytical gaze, while Lyra leaned casually against a tree, playing with the ends of her hair with a slightly bored expression.

"Maybe it's time to try a different approach." Celine murmured softly before finally reaching out her hand toward the crystal.

"DeepArcaneAnalysisDeepArcaneAnalysis"

A soft wave of purple light flowed from her fingertips, forming a complex magical circle above the surface of the Mystic Core Fragment. The air around us suddenly felt heavier—as if something inside the crystal was reacting to her magical energy.

"Be careful, Celine," I warned, ready for anything unexpected.

However, in an instant...

ZRRRT!

A small bolt of lightning crackled through the air, forcing Celine to step back a few paces. The light from her magical circle dimmed in an instant, and the crystal vibrated before finally falling still.

"What happened?" Lyra asked, now standing with a more serious expression.

Celine let out a long sigh. "There's... some kind of high-level magical barrier inside it. My basic analysis isn't enough to penetrate it."

I narrowed my eyes, staring once more at the Mystic Core Fragment, which now seemed even more mysterious than before.

We need to find another way to uncover the secrets of this crystal.

Celine stared at the Mystic Core Fragment in her hand with a deeply analytical expression, while Lyra sat beside her with her arms crossed. I, on the other hand, still couldn't understand why this object felt so... different. It was as if something was hidden within it, but we had no way of knowing what it was right now.

"If this object is truly something special, there must be another way to uncover its secrets." I thought, stroking my chin.

Celine tried chanting an analysis spell for the second time. A magical circle appeared above the surface of the crystal, but like before, there was no significant reaction. The light that was supposed to seep into the crystal seemed to be reflected back instead.

"I've tried various types of analysis spells," Celine said with frustration. "But the result is the same—it's as if this object doesn't want to be revealed."

Lyra raised an eyebrow. "So... it could be some kind of hidden key, or something that can only be activated under certain conditions?"

I thought for a moment, then nodded. "Could be. And if that's the case, then we need more information before taking any further steps."

Celine sighed, finally giving up for now. "Then let's keep this object for now until we find a place or someone who can give us answers."

I agreed with that decision. If we forced ourselves without knowing what we were dealing with, it could lead to unnecessary danger.

Lyra crossed her arms behind her head, looking a bit bored. "So, what's our next move? I'm fine with looking for clues right now."

I looked at the Mystic Core Fragment still held in my hand. This crystal was clearly no ordinary item. Its energy felt different, as if it held something we couldn't yet understand.

Celine looked at me with a thoughtful gaze. "If this is indeed related to something big, maybe we should gather more information first. This city has a library, and I'm sure there are some NPCs who might know something about this object."

I nodded. "The library could be a good option. Or we could directly ask an NPC who seems experienced."

Lyra let out a small sigh. "Well, I prefer asking people directly rather than reading dusty old books." She shrugged and gave a mischievous smile. "But if you guys want to go to the library, I'll just tag along~."

I thought for a moment. Information in the library might be more accurate, but an NPC with experience in this world could provide more specific clues. This decision needed to be made carefully.

"I think we have two options," I said, crossing my arms. "We can go to the city library and look for information in old books, or we can ask an NPC who might know something about this item."

Celine seemed to consider for a moment before nodding. "When it comes to theory and history, the library definitely has the answers. But... if this item is related to something more practical or secretive, the NPCs who have lived in this world for a long time might have more accurate information."

"What about the adventurer's guild?" Lyra added, playing with her hair tie. "Sometimes there's rare information that only circulates among adventurers or people who often take on strange quests."

I nodded. "That could be a third option."

Now, we had to decide which path to take first.

We finally entered the city library, a large building with classic stone walls and tall windows that allowed sunlight to stream in, illuminating thousands of books neatly arranged on old wooden shelves. The familiar scent of old paper greeted us as we stepped inside.

"Wow... this place is bigger than I expected," Lyra murmured as she browsed the nearby bookshelves. "Are you sure we can find something here?"

"There's no harm in trying," I replied. "If the Mystic Core Fragment is truly a special item, there should be at least some record of its existence."

Celine seemed more enthusiastic than the two of us. She quickly walked over to the main desk, approaching an elderly NPC librarian who was busy sorting through recently returned books.

"Excuse me, are there any books that discuss ancient artifacts or items related to magic cores?" Celine asked in a formal tone.

The NPC librarian raised his head, adjusting his glasses before looking at us. "Hmm... books like that are usually in the restricted archives. Only those with special permission from the magic academy can access them."

"Of course," Lyra sighed. "There's always some kind of restriction like that."

I folded my arms, thinking for a moment. We could try to get permission, but that would definitely take time. However, there was another way...

Celine seemed to read my mind and immediately suggested, "I can find out if there's a way to bypass that restriction without causing trouble. Give me a little time."

I nodded. "Alright, in the meantime, we can look for other books that might contain clues. We don't need to go straight to the restricted archives if there's a chance similar information is available elsewhere."

We then split up, each searching for books related to magic artifacts and the history of this game world. However, before I could fully immerse myself in the search, I caught something out of the corner of my eye—a mysterious man sitting at a reading table, his eyes occasionally glancing in our direction.

"We're not alone," I whispered, slowly directing my gaze toward Lyra and Celine.

Lyra glanced over for a moment, then smirked. "Looks like someone's interested in us, huh? Should we approach him or pretend we don't notice?"

The stranger stood not far away, wearing a simple robe with a hood that covered most of his face. He looked relaxed, but there was something in his gaze that made me wary.

But before I could make a decision, Lyra had already taken the lead. "Well, if he's going to watch us, we might as well ask him directly, right?"

"Lyra, wait—" I tried to stop her, but it was too late. She confidently walked over to the man, placing one hand on her hip and smiling broadly.

"Hey, you've been watching us for a while now. Can we help you with something?" she asked bluntly.

The man didn't respond immediately. Instead, he stared at Lyra for a moment, then shifted his gaze to me and Celine. His eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was assessing something.

Celine stood closer to me, whispering softly, "I don't think he's an ordinary NPC. The way he moves... it's not like the average townsperson."

I gave a small nod. "Yeah, I feel the same way."

After a few seconds that felt longer than they should have, the man finally spoke. "The three of you aren't from this town, are you?"

"Hmm? You think so?" Lyra smirked, but I could see her fingers already poised on the hilt of her sword.

"I have some information that you might need." His voice was calm, but there was something in his tone that made me even more suspicious.

I exchanged glances with Lyra and Celine. Information? About what?

"It seems you're interested in something you shouldn't be touching," he said, pulling up a chair at our table and sitting down without waiting for permission.

I remained calm, though inside I was preparing for the worst. Celine subtly touched her magic staff, while Lyra just smiled as if she had just found a new toy.

"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to gauge how much he knew.

The man in front of us continued to stare with a sharp gaze, his eyes glinting as if testing our reactions. "The Mystic Core Fragment... I know you have it."

I could feel Lyra tense slightly beside me, while Celine maintained her calm expression—but I could see her fingers gripping her staff more tightly.

I sighed and tried to stay composed. "How do you know about that?" I asked directly.

The man gave a thin smile, then crossed his arms. "This world is full of secrets, and I happen to know a few of them."

"A very vague answer," Lyra muttered, narrowing her eyes.

I could understand her suspicion. This man didn't seem like an ordinary NPC, but he also wasn't just any player. The way he spoke was too confident, as if he was sure we would trust him without hesitation.

"What do you want from us?" I asked again, trying to dig deeper.

The man gave a thin smile, then raised his hand casually. "Relax, I'm not interested in robbing you or anything like that. Besides, if I really had bad intentions, we wouldn't be standing here talking peacefully."

Lyra crossed her arms, her expression turning skeptical. "So, you just want to make small talk? Or is there something you actually want to ask?"

The man paused for a moment before finally taking a step closer, lowering his voice to a more serious tone. "I just want to know if you're aware of how dangerous the item you're carrying is."

I watched his expression, looking for signs of deceit or hidden intentions. From the way he spoke, he clearly knew more than just rumors.

"What do you mean?" Celine finally spoke up, her voice calm but full of caution.

"The Mystic Core Fragment isn't just a rare item," the man continued. "It's part of something much larger. And there are many who want it—not all of them have good intentions."

I felt a slight chill run down my spine. If what he said was true, then we might have attracted more attention than we should have.

Before I could ask further, the man took a step back. "Just a warning," he said. "If you want to stay alive in this world, be careful who you trust."

And with that, he turned and walked away, disappearing into the city crowd before we could stop him.

I clenched my jaw. What exactly is this item? And why do I feel like I just received a veiled threat?

The air around us still felt tense after the encounter with the mysterious man. He knew about the Mystic Core Fragment, and that wasn't something to be taken lightly. We could have pressed him further for answers, but I also realized that forcing the issue in a situation like this might not be the best choice.

I took a deep breath, then looked at Lyra and Celine. "We need to think clearly before deciding our next move. Let's find a place to rest for a bit."

Lyra raised an eyebrow, then gave a small smile. "Oh~? You mean a comfortable, relaxing place... maybe with some warm water?"

Celine, who was usually more serious, actually seemed a bit interested in the idea. "We haven't had a proper rest since our journey from the forest. Maybe a little relaxation wouldn't hurt."

Lyra patted my shoulder with a satisfied expression. "Aha! I know the perfect place! There's a hot spring (Onsen) in the eastern district. They say the water there has special minerals that can relieve fatigue."

I looked at her skeptically. "And you're sure this isn't just an excuse for you to relax?"

Lyra chuckled. "Of course not! Besides, you need rest too, right?"

In the end, I gave in to the idea. After all, if we kept pushing ourselves to find answers without resting, we might end up making mistakes.

A Little Later — Hot Spring (Onsen)

Steam rose gently around the bathing area, creating a calm and comfortable atmosphere. We chose separate baths—I went to the men's section, while Lyra and Celine went to the women's.

I leaned back against the warm stone at the edge of the pool, letting the hot water seep into my body. The fatigue that had previously taken over slowly faded away.

However, the tranquility didn't last long.

—Splash!

Suddenly, the sound of churning water came from the other side of the partition.

"Hey... what's that sound?" I muttered, frowning.