40 Let It Go

Our travel happens in silence. I'm too irritated by Gryphon's appearance and the way he took care of me, as if he really cared about me, and not who he thinks I am. Not that I care about how he thinks of me, it's just—

Argh!

My eyes keep straying to the party display in the corner of my vision, Gryphon's name an odious reminder of his presence, even without him here. I can't shake the feeling of being tethered, of having my independence stripped away bit by bit.

Gritting my teeth, I abruptly break the silence. "I'm going to get strong enough to beat Gryphon in a duel."

Darius lets out a startled sound, nearly tumbling right off the saddle before he leans over my shoulder to stare at me. "What? Aria, are you serious?"

I level an obstinate look at him, squaring my shoulders. "Of course I am. I'm done letting him push me around and act like he owns me just because of some stupid quest."

Darius blinks owlishly for a moment before letting out a wheezing laugh, one hand clutching his chest. "You... you want to duel Gryphon Vale? The Ranker who single-handedly slew an entire legion of demons with just a flick of his wrist?" Jeniss had told us something about that, though I can't remember the details.

He shakes his head in disbelief, wiping at the tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. "Aria, that would be a miracle if you were ever strong enough to even land a single hit on him. He's a literal God among players."

I scowl, gripping the reins so tightly my knuckles turn white. "You're an ass," I mutter darkly, resisting the urge to shove him to the ground, spur my horse forward, and leave him choking on his laughter in the dust.

Darius holds up his hands in a placating gesture, still grinning madly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just—you have to admit, the idea of you taking on Gryphon is pretty laughable right now. He's leagues above your level."

"For now," I stress through gritted teeth. "But I'll get stronger. Strong enough to wipe that smug look right off his stupidly handsome face."

Snorting, Darius shakes his head again. "Well, I can't tell you not to get stronger. Just don't get yourself killed trying to punch above your weight class, okay?"

I shoot Darius a scathing glare over my shoulder as he snickers a few moments later, still amused by the idea of me challenging Gryphon to a duel. "Shut up already," I growl.

He raises an eyebrow, grinning impishly. "What, you can't take a little friendly ribbing? You've gotten so touchy lately."

Touchy? I want to snap back with a biting retort, but a part of me knows he's not wrong. I have changed since those first days in the newbie village, when I was just a clueless girl stumbling through quests with him at my side.

Repeated traumas and betrayals have a way of hardening a person, I suppose.

Unconsciously, my free hand drifts up to rub at the spot on my chest where I'd been run through all those weeks ago. Sometimes I can still feel the ghostly ache of that wound, taste the coppery blood on my tongue. I wonder for a moment if it's ridiculous to hold onto that anger, but—

No. That's stupid. A handsome face that happened to start flirting with me is not a good enough reason to give up on revenge. I sigh and suffer through Darius' random chortles as we continue on.

* * *

I pull the map from my pack and unfurl it, squinting at the faded lines and markings. According to this, the bridge ahead should still be intact, providing a way across the ravine to the other side. Yet the sight before me tells a different story—the bridge is broken, the thick wooden planks snapped and dangling precariously over the rocky chasm below.

I point at the map. "Look. It shows this bridge as a valid crossing, but it's destroyed. What gives?"

He urges his horse closer, leaning over to inspect the map with a thoughtful frown. "Huh, you're right. That's strange."

Tucking the map back into my pack, I arch an eyebrow at him. "Care to enlighten me? I thought these maps were supposed to be updated regularly."

Darius looks amused. "They are, but you have to understand—the entire world of Aeon Odyssey is dynamic. It changes and shifts based on the actions of players."

I blink at him uncomprehendingly. He continues, "For example, say a group of high-level players decided to take down that bridge for whatever reason—to stop enemies from crossing, create a choke point, set a trap. Whatever their motivations, that action would change the landscape. The maps try to keep up, but things are constantly in flux."

Realization dawns and I let out a soft "ah" of understanding. My gaze drifts back to the ruined bridge, taking in the shattered, splintered wood. "So... someone broke this? But why?"

Darius shrugs one shoulder. "Could be any number of reasons. Maybe they were trying to cut off a path to funnel monsters elsewhere. Maybe it was just random senseless destruction because they were bored." A wry smile quirks his lips. "Players can be chaotic like that."

"Huh," I murmur, more to myself than Darius. "So I could just... break stuff? Reshape the world however I wanted?"

He lets out a bark of laughter at that. "Well, sure, if you were strong enough. Though I'm not sure the devs would appreciate widespread, random acts of chaos and destruction."

"Fair point," I concede with a slight smirk. The idea is an intriguing one though—being able to sculpt reality itself to my desires, affecting millions of players.

In my past life, such a thought would be unthinkable. In this one, knowing I can continue to grow in power, it almost feels like a possibility.

Giving the ruined bridge one last considering look, I turn to Darius. "So, I guess we're finding another way across then?"

Darius looks at me in confusion. "Aren't you a mage?"

My eye twitches. "You know I am."

"So just…" He motions to the bridge. "Let the magic, you know… go."