Why do I always run into this woman? Has she become my constant companion without my knowledge? It's like she's turned into my shadow. She pops up out of the blue, and I can never predict when or where she'll appear. She's crossed my path in the real world twice and thrown a wrench into my plans in the game world. But is she my stalker? I highly doubt it. I'm not exactly a looker who'd attract the attention of a beauty like her. So, is it just a coincidence? And why is she dining here when she's clearly well-off?
She hasn't spotted me yet, so I decide to quietly finish my meal. I still have one bowl left, and I'm confident she'll notice me sooner or later. I can't leave, though, because I'm still hungry.
I slurp down my noodles calmly. It seems she hasn't figured out my in-game identity either. I'm not ready to reveal my true identity in the real world to anyone, including Rika until I become more powerful. But she could be useful to me for earning money. Since she hasn't earned any Guild Tokens yet, I'm sure she'd be interested in buying some. As time passes, Guild Tokens will become easier to obtain, so I need to act soon. Once I'm back home, I'll head to the Auction and sell those tokens, which will provide the funds I need for my mother's operation.
Rika looks to her side and suddenly notices me. She gasps upon seeing me, which I find a bit surprising. My appearance isn't that remarkable. But I guess she remembered me due to my unremarkable face.
"Oh, you're the one who was with me that time!" Rika exclaims.
I glanced at her, tilting my head in an attempt to feign unfamiliarity. I wasn't the best at acting, but I had to try.
"Do I know you?" I asked with a hint of confusion, hoping to avoid revealing that I'd ignored her before. Rika seemed taken aback by my question but didn't react negatively.
"You remember, right? We met at that Reality Verse company event," she said with a friendly smile.
I had to resort to a little white lie. "I'm sorry, but I don't recall your face. I don't remember meeting you."
An awkward silence settled between us, and I had no intention of breaking it. I might come across as rude, but it was necessary. Rika sighed in disappointment, but her determination was evident as she continued the conversation.
"Well, if you don't remember me, we can get to know each other. I'm Rika Tsukinara. I'm also into gaming, just like you. What's your name?"
I was surprised by her persistence but decided to oblige. "I'm Manato Tsukasa."
"Wow, that's awesome! You're into the game too, right? Since you ordered Reality Verse as well. Are you playing by yourself or with friends?"
"I'm currently playing solo, and I don't have any plans to team up right now. Maybe I'll change my mind later, but not at the moment. Why do you ask?" I gazed at her, puzzled. Could this mean...
"Are you thinking about joining a guild then? There are some great perks to being in one, like making new friends."
"I'm not really interested in making friends right now, so spare me that talk," I replied, finishing my noodles and placing the empty bowl on the counter. "Can I get a second bowl, please?"
The cook nodded, quickly preparing the second bowl and sliding it over to my side. "Here you go."
"You're eating that much? Is the special combo larger than the regular one?" Rika inquired.
"I'm just really hungry. This is the amount of food I eat every day."
Rika stared at my sizable bowl and then at her smaller one, beads of sweat forming as she watched me devour my meal with lightning speed.
I take a slurp of noodles and quickly chew down my food. "So, about this guild you mentioned?"
She leans in, excitement in her eyes. "I'm in the process of creating my own guild in the game. It's not official yet because we're missing a crucial item for guild creation, but we'll get it soon. Guilds offer a bunch of advantages, you know?"
"Absolutely," I respond.
Guilds have tons of benefits, especially for new players. Just like most online games, Alternate World guilds come with perks beyond just connecting with other players. Members of a guild get to enjoy these bonuses.
- Guild members can access Guild Quests, which offer easy and rewarding tasks.
- Guilds have the option to establish a hideout or base. Once a guild reaches level 2 or 3, this base can be upgraded to a castle.
- If a player spends 2 hours at their guild's base, even if they log out during this time, they gain a buff that boosts HP by +100 for 5 hours and doubles experience, item, and gold gains during the same period.
- Guilds can engage in conflicts with other guilds, including the ability to conquer territories.
All of these features are available in the game, even for solo players, although nobody else seems to know about it yet except for me. Right now, it is more of a disadvantage for me to be in a guild rather than to be a solo player. I don't intend to continue doing solo in the future as I will have my friends join me, but I would prefer to do the job by myself for now. Not only will it be less problematic for me, but it would also be more beneficial for my growth, especially with my class that takes more EXP than necessary. Still, I'm curious why she's bringing this up with me.
"Then, let me ask you, even though I can't be sure if you're a skilled player or not, would you consider joining my guild?"
One thing that I can't ignore is the fact that she is a persistent woman. I already have shown her my disinterest in joining a guild and not even participating in one and yet, here she is, trying her best to recruit me without even knowing whether I am skilled or not. Guess she does not judge others so easily. But I am resolute in my decision. She might be nice for now but knowing the future, I don't think joining her guild is a good choice either. There is only one answer to her question and it will never change.