Elsa crossed her arms and leaned slightly against the counter, her sharp eyes scanning the group. "Now that's out of the way, you're officially Wanderers," she declared. "Your personal ranks stay the same, but your party rank starts from the lowest—Rank Eta."
She tapped a finger against the counter, a smirk forming. "That leaves one thing: quests."
Livia raised an eyebrow. "We know how quests work, Elsa."
Elsa ignored her and continued. "There are normal quests, unique quests, and special quests. Special quests are requested by specific individuals for specific Wanderers, usually by players themselves. Besides quests, you'll also participate in Events, clear Ainslif, handle monster dispatches, and other duties."
Livia sighed. "Yeah, yeah, like I said, we know that."
She turned toward the others. "I think we should get a room and stay before the Event starts."
Elsa perked up. "Oh? So you're participating in the Event? Why didn't you say so earlier? I could have finished the paperwork already."
Livia frowned. "Wait, so if we had just left without saying anything, we wouldn't be able to participate?"
"That's right," Elsa replied casually, reaching under the counter to grab a sleek, rectangular tablet. "You need to register first." She slid it toward them. "Fill out your details."
The group quickly input their information, and Elsa worked efficiently to finalize everything. After a few moments, she nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, you're in. Knull—Rank Eta. The last party to register."
She then handed a small, glowing orb to Ichio. "You'll need this for the Event."
Ichio took it without hesitation, examining its smooth, glassy surface.
"If you want to take on a job in the meantime," Elsa continued, pointing toward a nearby room, "enter there. Place your hand on one of the walls, and a quest of your need will be given."
Ichio gave a small nod. "Thanks, Elsa."
As they turned to leave, Vitalia glanced at Ichio and whispered, "Wow… he's not acting like before."
Valkyrie chuckled. "Yeah, that's true."
Livia pouted. "Seriously? You were totally nice to Elsa. Why are you always cold toward us?"
Ichio sighed. "You're so loud. Just shut up."
The group made their way toward one of the guild's rooms, settling in.
---
The air inside was slightly musty, the scent of old parchment and worn furniture lingering in the enclosed space. A few chairs and a table occupied the center, giving them a place to rest before the upcoming event.
Valkyrie leaned against the wall, arms crossed, her expression puzzled. "Seriously, that was some NPC," she muttered. "I know NPCs are kinda in between regular people and NPCs now, and sometimes they can have normal conversations that aren't just pre-programmed dialogue inputs… but that Elsa girl? She was something else."
Livia flopped onto a chair, resting her chin in her palm. "I was thinking the same thing," she admitted. "It was like she was developing beyond what an NPC should be capable of."
Valkyrie nodded. "Exactly. She was making decisions on her own—ones NPCs shouldn't be able to make. And not just that… she had an authority beyond what an NPC should have. It felt like she was talking to us like a real player, like she actually knew stuff about the status board and game mechanics only players should understand."
Ichio, who had been quiet up until now, exhaled through his nose and muttered, "And your point is?"
Livia shot him an exasperated look. "Seriously, Ichio? That should be impossible! She shouldn't be able to make those kinds of decisions!"
Vitalia tapped a finger against the armrest of her chair, deep in thought. "Yeah… I'm also wondering if she's some kind of special NPC or what? There's no way a normal NPC should act like that."
Ichio simply shrugged. "Don't worry about it," he said. "Thinking too much about it will only make your head hurt."
The others exchanged glances, still unsettled by Elsa's behavior. But Ichio's words carried an undeniable truth—overanalyzing it wouldn't change anything. For now, they had more pressing matters to deal with.
---
**Announcement: The Event will begin in one minute**
A chime rang through the room.
**The Battle Royale will feature ten parties. Only ten managed to register within the time limit**
One by one, the announcer listed the participating teams, from the lowest-ranked to the highest:
10th Party: Knull (Rank Eta)
9th Party: Seraphon (Rank Eta)
8th Party: Igeon (Rank Eta)
7th Party: Glow (Rank Gamma)
6th Party: The Seraphs (Rank Gamma)
5th Party: The Anglers (Rank Gamma)
4th Party: Dull (Rank Gamma)
3rd Party: Invid (Rank Epsilon)
2nd Party: Lariso (Rank Epsilon)
1st Party: Arachna (Rank Epsilon)
Livia's eyes widened. "Arachna? Seriously? They're actually here?"
Valkyrie exhaled sharply. "Then this will be harder than I thought. If they're the same as I remember, they won't go down easy."
Vitalia, remained calm. "Well, we haven't found all our members yet. I doubt they have either. So they shouldn't be too far ahead of us."
Ichio smirked, gripping the orb Elsa had given him. "Well… this is gonna be fun."
Ichio and his party stepped out of the room, heading back toward the guild's main counter, where Elsa stood waiting with her usual composed demeanor. As they approached, she glanced up from her paperwork and nodded at them.
"You're just in time," Elsa said. "Now, to enter the event grounds, you need to go to the Quest-Room. Once inside, head toward one of the screens—the ones that look like doors. Place the orb I gave you into the slot, and it will take you directly to the event location."
Ichio gave a slight nod. "Understood."
With that, the group made their way to the Quest-Room, a dimly lit chamber lined with several large, rectangular screens resembling doorways. The faint hum of Metra energy filled the air, pulsing in sync with the glow from each screen. Stepping up to one of them, Ichio pulled out the small, luminous orb Elsa had given him and placed it into the designated slot.
The moment the orb made contact, a bright light engulfed the group. A brief sensation of weightlessness overcame them, and in the blink of an eye, they found themselves standing in the middle of a vast forest.
Tall, ancient trees loomed overhead, their thick canopies filtering the golden rays of an unseen sun. The air smelled fresh, carrying the faint scent of damp earth and leaves. However, their surroundings weren't the only thing that caught their attention—floating screen holograms hovered all around the forest, suspended in the air like ethereal displays.
Back at the guild, players and NPCs alike had gathered to watch, their gazes locked onto the same floating screens that had appeared throughout all of Floor 5, allowing the entire city to observe the Battle Royale in real time.
A loud, booming voice filled the air as the official event announcement began.
"Welcome to the Battle Royale! This event will determine the strongest party present. The winning team will gain the right to take on Floor 10!"
The screens flickered, and images of each participating party appeared, along with their respective rankings.
"Now, here are the rules for the event!"
Battle Royale Rules:
Each party leader is given a flag:
Every party will start with one flag representing their team. The flags are visible to everyone in the arena and must be protected.
Two ways to win:
Capture all enemy flags. If a party collects all nine other flags, they will be declared the winner.
Eliminate all other parties. If a single party remains standing after all others have been eliminated, they automatically win.
Elimination & Safety Measures:
If a participant takes critical damage, they are instantly teleported to the Health-Room at the guild, where they will be healed. This ensures that no one actually dies in the battle.
Once eliminated, a participant cannot return to the battlefield.
No Forced Balancing:
Each party has been randomly assigned a starting location. There are no "equalized conditions." If a party has a member with scouting, stealth, or sensory abilities, it is their advantage, not a system-imposed restriction.
The Environment:
The battlefield is a custom-designed combat ground that includes varied terrain, such as dense forests, hills, rivers, and ruins.
Players can use the environment strategically for ambushes, cover, or setting traps.
Item & Ability Usage:
Players may use their skills, Artem-Abilities, and items as they would in any other combat scenario. There are no restrictions on gear, potions, or magic.
Victory Conditions:
The Battle Royale will continue until one party remains or all flags are collected by a single team.
As the announcement concluded, each party was shown holding their flag, their names displayed beside them. The holograms gave a final sweeping view of the battlefield before the voice returned.
"With that said… let the Battle Royale commence!"
A deep chime echoed through the forest, signaling the start of the event. The screen holograms flickered before vanishing, leaving only the vast expanse of the battleground and the uncertain tension between the competing teams.
Ichio's eyes narrowed slightly. "Well… this should be interesting."
The party moved cautiously through the dense forest, their steps muffled by the thick layer of fallen leaves beneath them. The towering trees cast shifting shadows across their path, and the occasional rustle in the foliage hinted at the presence of other parties lurking nearby.
As they walked, Valkyrie suddenly narrowed her eyes, scanning the list of active participants displayed on her interface. "Well, something is incredibly off," she muttered.
Ichio glanced at her. "What is?"
Valkyrie frowned. "There are some party names here that don't make sense. Some of them belonged to The Apex. I mean, Arachna—The 8th Apex—was one of them."
Explanation - What is The Apex?
The Apex refers to the ten strongest parties in the game before the merge. Each Apex party was renowned for its overwhelming strength, tactical brilliance, and dominance in large-scale battles. To belong to The Apex meant that your party had fought its way to the pinnacle of Ego: Explore Game Online, surpassing tens of thousands of others. These parties were legends, feared and respected in equal measure.
Livia nodded in agreement. "Yeah… and not just Arachna. Look at these names—The Seraphs, The Anglers, Invid. They were all part of The Apex." She paused, then scoffed. "But apart from Arachna, I think these are just impostors using the names of famous parties. Maybe they think it'll scare off weaker players."
She crossed her arms. "Big mistake."
Vitalia raised an eyebrow. "Why's that?"
Livia's voice lowered slightly. "Because the real leaders of these parties still exist, and they don't take kindly to people using their names. Especially Invid. Their leader? He's ruthless. If he finds out someone is impersonating his party, they're in for a world of pain."
Ichio listened in silence, then finally spoke. "Well, it doesn't matter. Whether they're real or not, all we have to do right now is get rid of the fodder and take first place."
As they continued walking, Ichio's status board suddenly flickered open before him. A glowing notification appeared.
His brows furrowed slightly. A quest? Before he could process it, another message appeared right beneath the first.
Ichio's expression twisted slightly. Wait… what? He blinked. Draw attention to myself? What the hell does that mean?
Another line of text appeared almost instantly.
Ichio stared at his status board, confusion flashing through his mind. What is going on? He gritted his teeth slightly. I don't really understand, but whatever. All I have to do is win this event. If the system wants me to draw attention to myself, then fine…
Before he could think further, Vitalia tapped his shoulder. "Hey, are you alright? Why are you staring off like that?"
Ichio quickly dismissed his status board and shook his head. "It's nothing."
As they continued forward, Ichio thought to himself, 'Oh, right. Players can't see each other's status board unless permission is given.' His expression darkened slightly. 'And in my case, there's no way I can let anyone see mine.'
Livia turned to him as they walked. "You have the flag, right, Ichio?"
Ichio smirked. "Yeah, don't worry." His voice held a confident edge. "I have a plan."
CHAPTER END.