The next morning, I dashed down the steps of the inn, excitement bubbling within me. The innkeeper was conversing with another NPC who appeared to be a baker, discussing what to do with any excess bread or baked goods.
I took a seat in the hall of the inn. NPCs were eating and chatting with each other. The inn was relatively quiet, with the innkeeper clearing a young child NPC who followed her around, cleaning tables and taking care of various tasks. After I finished eating, I noticed the child in a corner, working on what looked like schoolwork.
WHOOSH
The sound of the doors being pushed open made me turn around. It was Viri, sent to retrieve me. Following her was Eli, who had a tired expression on her face. They approached my table, and Viri spoke loudly, drawing the attention of nearby NPCs.
"We need to go shopping," Viri commanded.
"Ok," I sighed, jumping to my feet, noticing Viri wearing black glasses. The woman who owned the inn came by and took away my finished plates. Tenshi and Viri helped her clear up before we left the inn.
"Meet us on Floor 2," Viri said sternly, as if she were annoyed with me.
CRACK
After warping to the teleport circle on Floor 2, I was greeted by a bustling scene. Hundreds of thousands of players were milling about, some talking with others, buying gear, or simply living on the floor.
As I walked through the crowded central section of the city, someone pulled on my arm. I drew my dagger instinctively. It was Eli. She apologized for startling me, and we made our way towards Viri, who stood out in the crowded city.
Viri led us into one of the quadrants with a green environment. NPCs here wore green armor and clothing. The area was vibrant with NPCs selling potions for stone skin and spell books featuring earth magic. The city's chaos and noise surrounded me. We wove through the crowded streets, my eyes scanning the bustling markets. The air was thick with the smell of freshly baked bread and various spices. Viri walked beside me, her expression focused as if on a mission. Eli trailed behind, hands in her pockets, her gaze fixed on the sky.
"So," I began, glancing at Viri, "What are we looking for?"
She replied immediately, "Supplies. Information." Her voice was low, almost distracted.
I had known Viri long enough to understand that when she mentioned supplies, she wasn't referring to food or gear—she was searching for something more. Eli caught up with us, walking in step.
"We're looking for mana bombs and skill books that can help with Floor 10."
"Why do you need mana bombs? Your guild is already so powerful."
"We want to see if we can replicate them," Viri said.
As we passed a stall selling peculiar trinkets, I noticed Eli eyeing a small glass orb. She seemed fascinated by it. She picked it up, and it glowed a pure violet.
"How much for the crystal?" Eli asked excitedly.
The NPC, a young man, thought for a moment before replying, "I'll give you this and the stones for 500 silver."
Eli eagerly purchased the orb and added it to her inventory. The salesman wore a sly smile—he had ripped her off. Viri, who had walked ahead of us, noticed we weren't with her and came running back.
"What's this?" she asked.
Eli showed her the stone. It seemed old and ragged, with unreadable runes on it. Eli tried wiping it down.
A blinding white light engulfed us.
=====================================
Player Teleport Rune
Teleports any player with less than [100k mana]
====================================
Viri's Perspective:
As the light dimmed and my vision returned to normal, I looked around. The NPC who had sold Eli the stone seemed to have vanished. Eli stood next to me, her face a mix of shock and anger.
"He'll come back," I said, trying to calm her down.
"You're right," Eli replied, her anger palpable.
We walked back towards the center of the city. As evening approached, players and NPCs began to leave, and the city grew quieter. We waited and waited, but there was no sign of the Arden. The city became almost barren. To my right, I spotted a stall where an elven NPC was sleeping.
"Eli, why are you acting this way?" I asked.
Eli let out a laugh. "Sometimes, I want to be the damsel in distress."
"You should be able to be yourself"
The teleportation rune began to glow a bright red. Through the light, a figure in a purple cloak and mask materialized. Eli's eyes widened in fury—this was someone all too familiar. The pendant around their neck confirmed it.
"Kazue ... or should I say Pendant, rank 9 of the Ten Slayers," I said.
"Midori, or is it Viri or Viridian? I honestly forgot," Kazue replied with a touch of disdain.
Eli wasted no time. She dashed forward, summoning her weapon from her inventory, and let out a bone-chilling yell. "Railgun!"
Her sword sliced through the air with such speed it seemed to vanish, delivering a hundred strikes in an instant and shredding the figure to pieces. Red pooled beneath Eli as she stood over the remains, a small smile forming on her lips. I was left in stunned silence.
But then, the rune began to glow again, and another figure in the same purple cloak and mask materialized.
"Did you really think I'd use my real body?" she taunted, stepping casually down the rune and walking past Eli.
Eli's anger grew palpable, her fists clenched tightly around her sword. She jumped back toward me, her rage fueling her every move. As she clasped her hands together, preparing to cast something dangerous, I grabbed her arm, stopping her.
"What are you doing, activating that in a city?!" I yelled.
Eli's face was resolute as she pulled her hand free. "Lightning Dragon, Volsta!"
From the sky, a dragon of pure lightning descended in a brilliant flash, illuminating everything around us. The dragon struck Pendant once, before dissolving into a flash of light, discharging its power into her.
But Kazue, completely unfazed, stood tall, as if nothing had happened. Eli was left standing in front of us, consumed by shock and anger.
"What do you want?" Eli yelled, pulling out her pistol and aiming it at Pendant.
"I wonder where Arden is?" Kazue asked, a smirk hidden beneath the mask.
"If you did anything to him," Eli said, her voice seething, "I'll kill you."
"Always so vulgar," Kazue replied with a mocking tone.
"Always overconfident... For the self proclaimed smartest person."
"I wouldn't say that," Kazue said coolly, "Everything is going according to my plan."
"Is killing you now part of that plan?" Eli demanded.
"I highly doubt you could kill me."
"What did you do to Arden?"
"Don't worry," Kazue laughed, "We only talked."
"About ?"
"About what he wants to do with his meaningless life."
"Meaningless ?" I interjected
"Kazue, I swear I'll kill you." Eli yelled
"If you survive the upcoming events, I'd gladly take on that challenge."
"Our guild will survive." I said confidently.
"Your guild is nothing but a meaningless pawn in this game," Kazue said with cold amusement.
I took a breath. "A pawn, huh? Funny thing about pawns—they can promote to queens, given enough time."
Kazue let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Queens? You actually believe that? Your guild isn't as strong as Sho's, not as cunning as The Slayers, and you don't have nearly as many members as Ascend or Sovereign."
I shook my head, refusing to rise to her bait. "You really aren't grateful for anything, are you? Not even for the time we spent together on Earth?"
"Grateful?" she hissed. "I don't thank anyone for anything—not then, not now. Everything I've done, I did on my own."
Her words stung, but I stood firm. "Maybe that's where you're wrong. It's not about standing alone. We survived because we had each other back then. And we'll survive here, too, because we still have that."
"Keep telling yourself that. In the end, those bonds you're so proud of will only drag you down."
She snapped her fingers. A red rune appeared behind her, and Arden was dropped unceremoniously to the ground.
Eli ran over to Arden and hugged him as he began to wake up.
"Are you okay? Did she do anything to you?" Eli asked, her voice trembling.
"No," Arden smiled as he hugged her back, "I'm fine."
He had a look of resolve on his face that I hadn't seen before, which made me concerned. Kazue seemed to dissolve into mist, no runes were visible, and the night was eerily still.
Arden's Perspective:
Eli had an embarrassed look on her face but was smiling through it. Viri grabbed my arm, and I noticed it was dark. There were barely any NPCs or players around; most had gone to sleep.
Kazue seemed to dissolve into mist.
We talked for a long time, reflecting on the events. One of the shops was still open—the one I had visited before, run by the Crusaders Guild. The elven NPC was talking to someone. Above his head floated the name "LV8 Crusaders Adrian Kundra." That's a familiar name, I thought to myself.
Viri had a sadistic smile on her face and ran ahead of us. Eli looked at me concerned as we hurried to catch up with Viri.
We reached the stall, and I saw boxes of mana bombs. The NPC was sitting in a chair, and I got a better look at the Crusaders Guild leader. Adrian Kundra had an athletic build and appeared strong. He had brunette hair and golden eyes that glowed like the sun. He was dressed in casual leather armor branded with the logo of his guild.
Viri slammed her hands on the table, jolting the NPC awake and drawing Adrian's attention.
"We'd like to buy mana bombs," she said firmly.
Adrian raised an eyebrow but smiled. "How many would you like?"
"Two hundred of each," Viri replied, sliding a gold piece across the table.
Adrian nodded and walked over to some nearby crates, pulling out several boxes to fulfill the order. He handed us the boxes..
I noticed Eli looking nervous beside me, clinging tightly to my arm, while Viri's expression twisted into a dark smile.
As she took the box, she leaned in closer to Adrian. "You know, Adrian, your guild's been giving out the incorrect information."
Adrian's smile faltered slightly. "What do you mean?"
"The Spider Queen healed itself during our fight, but your guild conveniently left that out," Viri said.
Adrian bowed in front of us. "Sorry for any casualties. The information we have is from the beta, and not everything is exactly accurate."
"That's not a good enough excuse," Viri said. "That misinformation nearly cost us everything."
Adrian straightened up, looking concerned. "What can I do to make it up to your guild?"
"Well…" Viri continued, "Maybe if you let me challenge you off the books I'll forget."
"Ha, is that what this is about?" Adrian said with an egotistical smile. "You can challenge me anytime."
Viri smiled, her green eyes glowing in the moonlight.
"Not now, though," Adrian laughed. "It's too late, and I have plans."
Viri replied sternly, "I'll meet you on floor 7."
Adrian nodded confidently.
***
One month Later
Viri stormed into my room to wake me up for her challenge. Tenshi followed closely behind, looking tired and trying to pull Viri away from me. The inn was unusually quiet as I hurriedly grabbed a piece of bread from the counter, dropping a copper coin on the table. Despite my attempts to pull away, Viri was relentless.
"Why do you need me?" I yelled.
"Reyna and Eli are away," Viri replied. "And Seraphina… well, Seraphina just doesn't care."
"What are Reyna and Eli up to?"
Viri hesitated, clearly reluctant to answer, before finally speaking. "I caused some damage on Floor 2 about a month ago. We're just paying the guild that owns the city back for the repairs."
"Really? Which guild owns the floor?"
"Right now... it's Sovereign," Tenshi replied.
"Besides, we'll see them later—we're meeting up after my challenge." Viri added.
Tenshi apologized for waking me up, and we quickly warped to floor 7. The area designated for the PvP match was about the size of a football field. It was marked with flags, and a large red and white tent was set up where Adrian could be seen talking to someone. The tent appeared to be able to accommodate a few people. Nearby, another tent was marked with flags as a boundary. It seemed like a lot of effort had been put into this setup.
Adrian, with a cocky expression, stood by the tent. A white name floated above the person he was talking with: "LV5 Crusaders Calder." He had brown hair, similar to Adrian's.
As Viri approached, Adrian's smile widened. "Are you ready?" he asked.
"I'll enjoy taking the 9th spot from you." Viri's expression remained resolute. "I'm ready."
"Well, see," Adrian smiled before continuing, "you'll have to beat Calder."
"What?" Calder screamed before whispering to Adrian, "I thought you brought me here to be a ref."
Adrian laughed. "I believe in you," he said, pushing Calder forward into the arena.
The air was thick with tension as Viri and Calder faced off in the clearing. I marveled at how they had managed to create this clearing in the forest; it hadn't been here previously. My thoughts drifted as I tried to focus on the match.
"3, 2, 1, Begin!" Tenshi shouted.
With a wave of her hands, the earth began to rumble as pillars of stone erupted from the ground. Calder quickly dodged the initial pillars, his blade flashing in the dim morning light.
Viri smiled as she raised both hands. The terrain responded to her will, and a massive rock shot up between them, cutting off Calder's path. With a powerful sweep, Calder cleared the obstacle and closed the gap in an instant, slicing at Viri.
But Viri was prepared. With a swift motion, the ground beneath Calder turned into a sinkhole, throwing him off balance. As he fell, Viri moved her hands in a clapping motion, crushing Calder between two rising stone walls. Calder reacted quickly, jumping out of the way and creating space between them.
WHOSH
Calder dashed at Viri, his blade slicing through the air just as she raised an earth barrier. The stone cracked under the force of the blow, but Viri wasn't finished. With a grunt of effort, she raised her arm, and the ground surged upward in a massive wave, knocking Calder off his feet and sending him sprawling.
As Calder struggled to rise, Viri brought both hands down, summoning a crushing slab of rock above him. With a final push, the stone crashed down, pinning Calder beneath its weight. Red seeped from his mouth as Viri allowed him to free, and Tenshi rushed over to heal him.
Adrian walked over to Calder, who was sprawled on the floor. "Too bad you lost, Calder. I guess I have to tell Ania about this."
Calder laughed weakly. "It was close."
"It wasn't close," I thought.
Adrian helped Calder to his feet. "Don't lose or Shino's never going to let you live it down," he said.
Adrian smiled as he set Calder to rest. "I never lose," he said confidently, a statement that made Viri smile.
Viri, who had just finished her fight with Calder, turned and asked, "Why didn't he use magic?"
Adrian turned toward Viri and stepped into the ring. "Our guild doesn't use magic."
"Why?" Viri asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Magic is an abomination," Adrian said, his tone firm. "Humans shouldn't be able to manipulate the world."
"Doesn't your guild make mana bombs meant to emulate magic?" Viri countered.
"True, we create mana bombs," Adrian admitted. "But it's not about manipulating the world. We use them as tools, not as an extension of ourselves."
"They also allow people who can't use skills to use them, so they're useful," I thought to myself.
Viri's sly smile remained as Adrian fumbled through his inventory, equipping iron armor that showed signs of heavy use and numerous scratches.
"Which weapon would you prefer I use?" Adrian's voice was menacing, and a chill went through the air.
"I don't care which weapon you use. The outcome will be the same," Viri replied, causing Adrian to smile.
Adrian drew his sword and shield, assuming a battle stance. Viri, remaining stationary with her arms crossed,then fumbled through her system and equipped a pair of glasses.
"3, 2, 1, Begin!" Tenshi yelled.
Viri lunged at Adrian, quickly closing the distance between them. Adrian, unfazed, allowed the attack to shatter his shield and send him staggering back. But Viri wasn't finished. With a wave of her hand, pillars of earth erupted from the ground, momentarily floating before her. She pulled an arrow-like shape from the earth and released hundreds of shards toward Adrian.
Adrian was prepared, using his sword to deflect and slice through the shards as if they were butter. The sword seemed to glow with a radiant light. After cutting through the shards, Viri spread her hands, causing a massive sinkhole to appear beneath Adrian. He fell into it but managed to jump out at the last moment, landing gracefully outside the hole.
This gave Viri the time she needed to finish her chant. "Crush him, Earth Dragon Lithorax!"
In an instant, a dragon made of the surrounding earth appeared. It was a towering creature with jagged, rocky scales and glowing eyes. The dragon roared and charged toward Adrian, crushing everything in its path.
As the dragon got closer, Adrian stood still, seemingly unfazed. Just before the dragon could bite him, Adrian unleashed a single, powerful slash. The energy from the slash cleaved through the dragon, causing it to shatter into hundreds of pieces.
Seizing the opportunity, Adrian dashed toward Viri. Before she could activate another skill, he placed his sword at her neck, causing a thin line of red to seep from the wound. With a wry smile, Adrian looked down at Viri and said, "You fought well," before recalling his sword to his inventory.
They fought two more times that day, with Viri losing each bout. Adrian helped Viri up after the third fight. "It was close," she smiled at him.
"I have to admit," Adrian said with a grin, "I'm better with spears." His words lingered in the air, almost as if he had been toying with Viri the whole time.
We left the fighting ring, and two members from another guild stepped in to spar. Adrian invited us to his tent, which was lavishly decorated with a large table and rich furnishings, reminiscent of a king's tent. However, we declined the offer.
As we prepared to leave, Adrian grabbed a bottle of water.
"I heard you're trying to be the first to beat floor 10," Calder said with a smile.
"If you need anything, just ask my guild." Adrian interjected.
Viri shook his hand, and we prepared to leave. Calder's voice could be heard. "Good luck with floor 8," he said with a smile.