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

I squinted my eyes, trying to adjust my vision to the surroundings. The thick steam filling the natural hot spring limited visibility, but I was sure I saw something... or someone.

Wait a minute...

From another direction, the sound of splashing water grew closer. I remained still, listening to the light footsteps approaching. As the steam began to thin, two figures finally appeared in front of me.

Lyra and Celine.

They stood there, wrapped only in towels clinging to their bodies. Lyra, with her usual carefree expression, simply placed her hands on her hips and stared at me without a hint of embarrassment. On the other hand, Celine's face was already bright red, her hands desperately trying to cover herself as she took a few steps back.

My brain needed a moment to process this situation.

"...What are you two doing here?" I finally asked.

Celine almost choked on my question. "We should be asking you that!" she exclaimed in a high-pitched voice, still trying to balance between maintaining her dignity and protecting her body from view.

Lyra, on the other hand, just shrugged. "What's the problem? It's a hot spring, right? Besides, it's just the three of us here," she said casually, stepping closer.

I let out a long sigh, trying to ignore the fact that Lyra was completely unfazed by this situation. Yes, she's an NPC. For Lyra, the concept of shame in a situation like this seemed almost nonexistent. But Celine... she was clearly different.

"W-Wait, so we're in the men's bath...?" Celine began piecing together the information in her head. "D-D-DOES THAT MEAN WE'RE IN THE WRONG PLACE?!"

"...You just realized that now?" I stared at them with a flat expression.

Celine looked panicked and stepped back further, almost losing her balance. I could see her ears turning red all the way to the tips. Lyra just chuckled at her reaction.

"You're too tense, Celine~," Lyra said in a teasing tone. "Besides, Rei isn't going to do anything weird, right?" She glanced at me with a meaningful look.

I massaged my temples. "Of course not."

"B-B-B-BUT THIS IS STILL WRONG!" Celine panicked even more. "We need to get out before someone—-"

Suddenly, a sound came from the distance. The sound of a wooden door sliding open.

Someone else had entered the hot spring.

Celine froze in place. Lyra and I exchanged glances before looking in the direction of the sound.

"Looks like we're in trouble," I muttered.

Celine panicked and accidentally pulled Lyra into the water, their bodies pressing against mine in fear of being discovered. Small bubbles rose to the surface as they submerged deeper, leaving only my head above the water.

I held my breath, trying not to make the slightest sound. Celine and Lyra were on either side of me, their bodies pressed close, making the water around me feel warmer than before. I could feel slight movements underwater—-maybe Celine panicking or Lyra... somehow still managing to stay calm in this situation.

Slow, squeaky footsteps echoed on the wooden floor.

"Hmm... why does the water feel warmer than usual? I need to make sure everything's okay...*"

It was the voice of the old lady who managed the hot spring.

I froze, my body tensing as the old lady stepped closer. From the corner of my eye, I could see Celine's hand trembling slightly underwater, probably from nervousness. Her expression must be completely panicked right now. Lyra, on the other hand... I couldn't see her expression clearly, but she wasn't moving much.

The old lady stopped at the edge of the hot spring, stroking her chin as if deep in thought. I could feel small movements from Celine, as if she wanted to move but was holding herself back.

Don't move!

I glanced down and saw Celine's eyes widen, probably realizing how close she was to me. Her face must be completely red by now. Meanwhile, Lyra... I could feel a slight vibration from her body, as if she was holding back laughter.

The old lady sighed and muttered, "Ah... maybe it's just my imagination."

I held back from letting out a sigh of relief too quickly.

After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, the old lady finally turned and walked out.

The wooden door slid shut again.

I looked down slightly, seeing two pairs of eyes still staring at the door with unreadable expressions. Celine slowly raised her head above the surface, her face red, her breath ragged from holding it in for too long underwater.

Lyra raised an eyebrow, then gave a mischievous smile while shrugging, as if saying "That was pretty fun, wasn't it?"

Celine, on the other hand, immediately turned her face away with a mix of embarrassment and frustration.

I finally let out a long sigh. Today was truly draining.

In the rest area, Celine and Lyra sat on a long wooden bench, still wearing the kimono towels provided by the hot spring management. Their faces looked more relaxed after soaking, though Celine still occasionally glanced at me with an indescribable expression.

"Ahh~ This is really refreshing!" Lyra stretched her arms while drinking a cold bottle of milk. She took a sip casually before turning to me, the corner of her lips curling into a mischievous smile. "So... want to talk about what happened earlier, Rei?"

I tensed up. "What happened?"

Lyra winked. "You know... the hot incident in the hot spring."

I tried to ignore her teasing smile, but Celine, who was drinking her milk, immediately choked. "Ughk—-!" She quickly covered her mouth with her hand while coughing lightly, her cheeks as red as a tomato.

"T-There's no need to talk about it anymore! It was just an accident! W-We should forget about it, okay?!" she panicked.

"Eh? Why should we forget it?" Lyra pretended to be confused. "I think it was an experience that brought us closer, don't you?"

I let out a long sigh. "Lyra..."

She chuckled softly, then nudged my arm teasingly. "What? I'm just enjoying Celine's reaction. She's cute when she's flustered like this."

Celine glared at her but couldn't argue. She just lowered her head, staring at her nearly empty milk bottle.

I finally raised my hand, trying to end this topic before it went further off track. "Alright, we have more important things to think about besides—-"

Suddenly, a system notification sound rang in my ear. A message appeared in front of me, its transparent display floating in the air.

Youhavereceivedamysteriousmessage.Youhavereceivedamysteriousmessage.

I frowned. A mysterious message? This was the first time I'd gotten something like this.

Lyra and Celine also noticed the change in my expression. "What's wrong, Rei?"

I stared at the screen seriously before finally opening the message.

∗∗SystemNotification:Youhavereceivedasecretmessage∗∗∗∗SystemNotification:Youhavereceivedasecretmessage∗∗∗∗SenderUnknown∗∗SenderUnknown

I furrowed my brows. What the hell is this?

At first glance, the message sounded like a typical scenario from mystery games or conspiracy theories. But I couldn't shake the strange feeling creeping into my mind. Is this someone's prank? Or just a hidden event that not many people know about?

I let out a soft sigh. This wasn't the first time I'd encountered something strange in this world, so I decided not to think too much about it. Maybe it's just a system gimmick.

"Did you just get something interesting?" Lyra's relaxed voice brought me back to reality.

I glanced at them. Lyra and Celine were sitting back on the rest area bench, still wearing their kimono towels, each holding a bottle of milk.

"Nothing important," I replied casually, closing my system screen.

Celine looked at me suspiciously. "You seemed to be thinking for a while."

I just shrugged. "Just a random message. Maybe the game system has some hidden events we don't know about yet."

Lyra chuckled softly before leaning her head back against the bench. "Hey, if it's a secret event, maybe we should try triggering it? Who knows, the rewards might be good."

I sighed. "No need to overthink it. We better focus on other things."

However, even though I tried to ignore it, a strange feeling lingered in the corner of my mind.

I let out a soft sigh, trying to shake off the vague unease bothering my thoughts. Maybe I'm overthinking it. After all, we were in the rest area after a tiring day. There was no point in worrying about something that wasn't even certain.

Lyra stretched her body lazily, wearing a thin kimono towel that was slightly loose, revealing a bit of her shoulder. With a satisfied expression, she grabbed a bottle of milk from the wooden tray and took a casual sip.

"Aaah~! This is the best after a long soak," she said, swinging her legs on the long bench with a content expression. "After this, I'm going to sleep soundly."

Celine, sitting next to her, still looked awkward. Her cheeks were slightly red as she held her milk bottle, sipping it slowly. She had been avoiding eye contact with me since the incident in the hot spring.

I smiled slightly at their antics. "So... tomorrow we head back to the city?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"Maybe we should," Celine replied, finally raising her head. "I still want to find out more about the Mystic Core Fragment."

"Hoo~? You're still curious about that?" Lyra leaned forward with sparkling eyes. "In my opinion, it might just be a regular item with a unique effect. No need to overthink it, right?"

Celine looked at her with slight doubt. "I'm not sure... but there's something different about that item."

I just listened to them quietly while thinking back to the mysterious message I had received earlier. At first glance, I wanted to ignore it, but the strange feeling just wouldn't go away.

However, this wasn't the time to think about that. For now, it's better to enjoy this moment of rest.

I leaned back on the wooden chair available in the hot spring's rest area. Warm steam still filled the room, carrying a soothing herbal aroma. Lyra sat across from me, wearing a simple white kimono towel that was slightly loose, while Celine, sitting beside her, still looked a bit embarrassed, occasionally adjusting her clothes as if afraid of exposing too much.

"So, we really splurged just to stay here, huh?" I asked, holding up a small pouch of gold coins that was much lighter than before.

Lyra smirked. "Of course! We got a lot of loot from the battles earlier, why not enjoy it? Besides, when else can we relax like this after such a chaotic day?"

I sighed again, this time longer. "I didn't expect the money to run out this fast."

Celine looked at my coin pouch with a concerned expression. "Maybe we should be more careful with our finances. Who knows, we might need more funds for equipment or other things later."

"Ah, you're too serious, Celine~." Lyra swirled the glass of milk in her hand before taking a sip. "Just enjoy it while you can! We can always earn more money later."

I just shook my head, then took a sip of my cold drink. It felt refreshing after a full day of fighting.

As we chatted, I glanced at the drop items we got from the last battle. Weapons, rare materials, potions, all of them valuable. But still, the money evaporated faster than I expected.

For now, I chose not to think about anything and just enjoy the rest at this inn.

I observed Lyra and Celine, who were busy choosing dishes from the menu provided. The hot spring also functioned as an inn with high-class dining services. After so long fighting and adventuring, we could finally enjoy a bit of comfort.

Lyra rested her chin on her hand and smirked at me. "So, Rei... why have you been staring at us like that?" she teased with a meaningful tone.

"Hoo~?" Lyra raised her eyebrows, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "I know what I mean. About... the incident in the hot spring."

Celine's face immediately turned as red as a tomato. "L-Lyra! That's enough! Don't bring that up again!"

I sighed and rubbed my face. "W-What?! You're the ones who walked into the men's bath without realizing it."

Lyra chuckled softly, while Celine looked down shyly, playing with the edge of her kimono towel. Occasionally, she glanced at me with an awkward expression.

"Besides, it's not my fault," I continued, trying to ignore Lyra's increasingly probing gaze. "You're the ones who didn't notice the sign at the entrance."

"Hmm~ still, you enjoyed it, didn't you?" Lyra teased, her smile widening.

Celine covered her face with both hands. "Can we just forget about that incident?" she murmured weakly.

Celine groaned softly, then shook her head. "Haaah... Why do I have to travel with people like you two...?"

Lyra and I exchanged glances before chuckling softly. At least, this was a rare moment where we could joke around without constantly facing danger.

I took a sip of the warm drink the waiter had given me and changed the subject while blushing slightly. "We should use this time to plan. After this rest, we need to think about our next move."

Lyra stretched her body and let out a sigh. "Well, I don't mind as long as there's an exciting adventure waiting."

Celine nodded, though she still looked a bit embarrassed. "Yes... we still need to find out more about the Mystic Core Fragment."

I nodded in agreement. "Then, let's rest tonight. Tomorrow, we'll start strategizing." We needed to refocus on our main goal.

I let out a long sigh, finally arriving at the inn room we had rented. After a full day of exhausting battles and the strange incident at the hot spring, my body was truly demanding rest.

The inn was quite comfortable—-wooden walls with simple decorations, clean floors, and a bed that looked much softer than the cold ground I usually slept on outdoors.

In the next room, Lyra and Celine should have been resting as well. When we finished dinner, Celine still seemed a bit uneasy, while Lyra just smirked mischievously every time she remembered the hot spring incident.

"Alright, tomorrow we'll start strategizing. For now, it's better to rest," I said before parting ways with them to our respective rooms.

Lyra just shrugged, while Celine gave a small nod.

I lay down on the bed, staring at the wooden ceiling above me. Faint sounds from outside the room occasionally reached my ears—-whether it was the night wind or the footsteps of other inn guests.

My eyes felt heavy. Tomorrow was a new day.

For now...

I'd better sleep.

The night grew late. After a full day of strange events, intense battles, and the misunderstanding at the hot spring, we finally decided to rest.

The inn was quite comfortable, with a typical fantasy world interior design—-neatly varnished wooden walls, a small window showing the starry night sky, and a soft bed that felt like a luxury after a long day.

"Alright, I'll be here, then." I looked at Lyra and Celine, who were already standing at the door of their own room.

Lyra smirked, crossing her arms with a mischievous expression. "Why? Afraid of being alone?"

"I'm actually grateful I can sleep peacefully without someone disturbing my night," I replied flatly.

Celine, standing next to Lyra, let out a relieved sigh. "At least... we can rest comfortably after all the chaos earlier."

I nodded. "Yeah. Tomorrow we'll think about our next move. For now, let's just sleep."

Without further ado, we finally entered our respective rooms.

I flopped onto the bed, letting my body sink into the softness of the pillows and warm blankets.

Ding!

A system notification appeared in the corner of my vision.

∗∗Notification:Youhaveenteredrestmode.HPandMPrecoveryeffectsincreasedby50∗∗Notification:Youhaveenteredrestmode.HPandMPrecoveryeffectsincreasedby50

I let out a long sigh. Today was truly a long day. From the battle against the Ogre, the mystery of the Mystic Core Fragment, to the incident at the hot spring... it all felt like a mix of serious adventure and ridiculous chaos.

I closed my eyes, letting the fatigue slowly pull me into sleep.

I woke up in a place that felt... strange. The sky above wasn't blue, but dark with swirling starlight like a vortex. The ground beneath my feet felt cold, almost like stone, but every step I took seemed to resonate with a rumbling sound.

I tried to move my hand, but something felt different. A faint light emanated from a strange rune on the back of my hand, glowing in increasingly complex patterns. Each pulse felt foreign, yet familiar at the same time.

"Where is this?" I thought.

Then, a voice echoed around me.

"Awaken..."

I turned quickly, but no one was there. Only the voice echoed from all directions, sounding distant yet so close.

"The time is near..."

I felt something tickling in my mind. Not fear, but more like a call. Something was trying to speak to me, but I didn't know who or what it was.

Suddenly, a large shadow appeared in front of me. A black figure with glowing red eyes stared at me, and before I could react—-

—-I woke up with a gasp.

I sat up in bed, my chest rising and falling rapidly. Cold sweat dripped down my forehead, and I felt the rune on the back of my hand still faintly pulsing in the darkness of the room.

"What... was that just now...?" I thought.

I looked at the window, seeing the sky was still dark. It was still far from dawn, but for some reason, I couldn't shake the strange feeling left by that dream.

I wiped my face, trying to calm myself. That dream... felt too real. There was something in the shadow I saw—-something I shouldn't remember, but it was etched in my mind.

I shifted my gaze to my hand. The strange rune on the back of my hand was still glowing faintly, as if responding to something. Slowly, I clenched my fist, trying to suppress this strange feeling.

"Is this all just a coincidence, or is something really happening?"

I took a deep breath. There was no point in overthinking this now. Tomorrow, I would find out more about the Mystic Core Fragment, and maybe, I would get answers to what was happening.

I lay back down, staring at the ceiling. The quiet atmosphere of the inn made my mind sink deeper into confusion.

But in the end, exhaustion overcame everything, and I fell asleep again