"Whoosh!"
A golden light washed over my head with a soft sound. I had leveled up again, finally reaching level 18!
I checked the level rankings. At level 18, I was now ranked 83rd among American players! The top spot in the US region still belonged to that female mage called "Breeze Embracing Moon," who had already reached level 20. The rest were all men, but I didn't pay much attention to them.
Ha! I'd made it into the top 100. Today's mission was accomplished perfectly!
Looking at the equipment from the quest reward, it didn't need identification. The stats were already visible:
[Shimmering Leather Armor] (Bronze - Leather Armor)
Defense: 36
Agility: +5
Stamina: +4
Required Level: 18
...
Wow! A bronze item with high defense, exactly what I needed right now!
I eagerly equipped the Shimmering Leather Armor. With this, my defense immediately shot up to 82 points, higher than most knights at this stage. Even the Blue-Eyed Lizards here could no longer break through my defense, though they were already known for their iron-clad defenses.
Checking my inventory, I originally had 18 gold coins. After killing so many Blue-Eyed Lizards, it had increased to 32 coins. More than enough to complete the company's assignment, with some left over for groceries.
I walked to the safe zone at the edge of the forest and logged off.
After removing my headset, I realized I was drenched in sweat from the intense session. I immediately went to the bathroom for a cold shower, then wolfed down a few slices of bread with a cup of hot water. I set my alarm for 8 AM and crashed into bed, falling into a deep sleep.
...
I don't know how long I slept before a harsh ringing woke me up.
Being disturbed from a deep sleep was as frustrating as being interrupted right in the middle of... well, you know. But I didn't dare go back to sleep. Being late on the second day of work wouldn't be a good look.
So I quickly got up, did a quick wash-up, and hurried out the door. The streets were already bustling with people coming and going.
By the time I arrived at the company, it was almost 9 AM. I quickly clocked in and sat down at my desk, pulling out a piece of dry bread and wolfing it down in a few bites.
At this time, the other four beautiful women in the office also appeared one after another.
Celine walked in with a small bag and sat down on the sofa. She glanced at me and smiled, asking, "Silas, how was your leveling last night? What level are you now?"
I smiled and replied, "Not bad, I've already chosen my class."
"Oh? What did you choose?"
"Archer!"
Celine smiled and said, "Good. It looks like our studio now has two archers, you and Aria. I chose Swordsman, and Summer... hey Summer, what class did you choose?"
Summer, wearing a loose-fitting dress, plopped down next to me, her thigh almost half on top of mine. She giggled and said, "I chose Summoner. I can already summon a level 10 wolf cub!"
I was startled. Summer's clothes were hanging low, and she didn't seem to mind at all. She even draped a snow-white arm over my shoulder, smiling intimately, "Big brother Silas, want me to help you level up? If so, leave me your phone number!"
I blushed, unable to say a word. I'd never been this close to a girl before!
Seeing my awkward expression, Celine laughed and said, "Summer, mind your image. Don't scare Silas away after just a few days. There's plenty of time, what's the rush?"
I asked in confusion, "What do you mean? It sounds like I'm being raised like a chicken waiting to be fattened up..."
Summer smiled and said, "How could that be? Our Snow Moon Studio is very united. If anyone bullies you, I'll be the first to stand up for you!"
I was speechless. Such big talk from a little Summoner.
At this moment, Luna came over with a few cups of tea, smiling, "Come on, everyone pulled an all-nighter last night. Have some chrysanthemum tea to cool down!"
I nodded and tried to shift my body to the left, finally allowing Summer to sit fully on the sofa.
I asked, "Summer, don't you have a boyfriend?"
Summer smiled, "I did, but that guy kept talking about taking our relationship to the next level and always tried to get me to go to hotels with him. So, to protect my pure and innocent body, I kicked him to the curb!"
I was shocked. This woman was indeed not simple!
Celine took a bottle of cold tea, took a sip, and asked with a smile, "How did you all do with the gold coin quest? Did you manage to get two gold coins?"
Aria nodded, "Yes, I just managed to get two gold coins in one night!"
Luna said, "I got 10 silver coins..."
Summer chimed in, "2 silver coins, not even enough to buy potions!"
Celine was speechless. She turned to ask me, "What about you, Silas?"
I said, "I borrowed some from a friend, barely enough."
Celine immediately praised, "You girls should all learn from him. I checked the rankings on the ranking website. That female mage called Breeze Embracing Moon is still dominating the level rankings at level 22, and my Golden Bow is still unrivaled at the top of the equipment rankings."
Celine and the others gathered around to look. After seeing it, they exclaimed, "This Breeze Embracing Moon is really incredible. When I woke up this morning and checked her record, it seemed like she had just logged off. I can't imagine what kind of woman she is..."
Aria said, "Level doesn't matter that much. She could have people help her level by damaging monsters and letting her finish them off. The key is, did you see that silver-tier bow at the top of the equipment rankings? Gosh, it's insane that someone already has silver-tier equipment so early. I don't even have bronze-tier yet!"
Luna sighed, "You're still better off. I played all night and only got an iron-tier axe. Otherwise, I couldn't have reached level 15."
At this moment, Summer said, "When I came in earlier, I saw that our boss's office door was locked. Looks like she hasn't come to work yet!"
I was surprised, "Who's our boss?"
Summer immediately showed a mysterious smile and said, "Diana, is a real beauty. Silas, when you see her, you'd better control yourself!"
My heart skipped a beat. Could it be Emma? It must be. Otherwise, how could she have the authority to let me into the Development Department? And if she wasn't in a high position, she wouldn't be able to afford a BMW.
Summer said, "Silas, wait until Diana comes in to assign you tasks."
I nodded, "Okay!"
So, I browsed the official website and forums of "Ethereal Surge" until nearly noon, when Summer finally came over, patted my shoulder and said, "Silas, go to the boss's office. She wants to see you!"
I felt a bit nervous as I walked towards the boss's office at the end of the office area.
"Knock knock!" I knocked on the door.
"Come in." A soft female voice came from inside, sounding very similar to Emma's!
I pushed the door open and saw a petite figure sitting behind the large desk. She was focused on writing something in a notebook, her long hair falling over her chest.
After about ten seconds, she finally looked up. I was stunned. What an exquisitely beautiful face! Skin as white and delicate as jade, a high, straight nose, rosy lips, a slender neck, and those bright, beautiful eyes. Who else could it be but Emma?
She looked at me and said coolly, "Are you Silas Reed?"
I was slightly shocked. We hadn't seen each other for just one day, could she have forgotten me already?
So I said, "Emma, I didn't expect you to work here..."
To my surprise, this beautiful girl raised her eyebrows and said coldly, "I'm not Emma. Look carefully! I'm Diana, the 'fierce woman' you mentioned!"
"What?Diana!?"
I stood there dumbfounded, unable to say a word. Could it be... when I answered Emma's call that day, this was her sister, Diana? Damn, they were twin sisters!
Diana glanced at me and said, "Hmph! If it weren't for Emma insisting that I take you into the Development Department, I wouldn't want someone like you. How dare you call me a fierce woman, hmph!"
My heart was pounding. Working under Diana from now on, wouldn't I be tormented daily? One misstep leads to eternal regret. Misfortune truly comes from the mouth!
Diana showed a trace of fatigue and said, "Because of you, Emma is still leveling up. As for you, hmph, just stay in the Snow Moon Studio and level up. And don't you dare bully those girls. The company spent a lot of money to recruit them!"
"Oh, okay!" I replied.
Diana nodded, "Alright, you can go now. I need to sleep for a while..."
"Huh? Sleep for a while?"
Diana paused for a moment, then smiled, "Go on, go on!"
I retreated and closed the door. Through the gap, I saw Diana arranging her hair before lying down on the desk.