We all sat quietly, thinking about our options and coming up with possible names. The room buzzed with soft suggestions as we considered each idea. After some back-and-forth Lia finally broke the quiet.
"Why don't we name it L2WMN?"
"That's an interesting name," Leo remarked.
"Do you hate it?" she asked shyly.
"No, but what does it mean?"
"It's based on the first letters of our names," she explained with a small smile.
"What does the 'N' stand for?" I inquired.
Lia and Mia's expressions turned somber, a shadow of sadness flickering across their faces. Lia's eyes glistened with tears as Mia took a deep breath and spoke.
"It stands for our last party member's name, Nia," Mia said, her voice faltering. "We were attacked by goblins, and she… she didn't make it."
Lia added, her voice choked with emotion, "She sacrificed herself so we could live."
"I'm so sorry," Leo said softly.
"What does adding a letter to our name do for her?" I asked, unable to hide my skepticism.
"What? How dare you!" Mia snapped, her hands hitting the table with a force that drew the attention of those nearby.
"She died so you could add her name to a party?" I sighed in frustration.
"Shut up!" Mia yelled, her anger palpable.
"She's gone now," I replied. "Don't make it so that her sacrifice was in vain."
Leo stepped in, trying to defuse the situation. "Calm down, Wakaba."
"Sorry, Lia and Mia, she's always like this," Leo said, trying to ease the tension. "She means well."
"It's fine," Leo continued, his voice steady. "Humanity will survive."
"What do you think's at the top?" Lia asked, her voice laced with curiosity.
"In the game, the first to the top got a wish," she added, her tone thoughtful.
"What would you wish for?"
He paused for a moment, the question heavy on his mind. "To restore the world to what it once was," he finally said.
Mia and Lia's faces brightened at the thought of seeing their friend again, but their gazes also turned cold as they looked at me.Their expressions suggested that, at that moment, I was the worst person in the tower at that very moment.
Leo stretched out his hand for a handshake, to which Mia and Lia obliged. I didn't expect or want a handshake, but they stretched out their arms to give me one regardless.
We waited for hours, eyes fixed on the entrance, ears straining for the alert that the boss had been defeated. A merchant walked in, the logo of the Merchant's Guild visible on his attire—a symbol of one of the four main factions of the guild. He handed everyone a piece of paper.
The paper read:
"Goblin Chief has been slain by G2."
"Party_Floor_4" Leo commanded, his voice resolute.
A red light enveloped all of us, its intensity almost blinding.
We spawned on a stone platform in the center of a room. Engraved into the platform was a message that read
"Runic_Teleport (size: small, area: 10m, effect: bind, duration: permanent, location: venomous marsh)."
We were the first to arrive, with only guards blocking all the pathways leading in every direction.
A woman's voice cut through the tense air, sharp and frantic. "Where'd he go?" she yelled, her eyes scanning the surroundings with urgency.
Standing calmly beside her was another woman, her presence steady and composed. Her white hair cascaded down her back, and her emerald green eyes were intense yet measured.
"Calm down, Viri. We'll find him. Stay focused," she said, her tone soothing but firm.
Viri's green eyes glowed with a mix of hatred and something else—almost a sadness. It was hard to tell where one emotion ended and the other began.
Leo, still looking confused, stepped closer. "What's going on? What's the problem?"
Viri's hands clenched into fists as she exhaled sharply.
"Wan was killed on the third floor," she said, her voice filled with both grief and anger.
Leo's eyes widened. "What?!"
"Who's Wan?" Lia asked, her curiosity mixing with concern.
Sera's tone was steady as she held out a hand to stop Leo from rushing off. "Stay alert. Keep your head."
Just as the group processed the information, another figure approached them. Her presence was cold and detached, her every step calculated. She had long grey hair that flowed with the wind, and her red eyes looked at the group with a sense of distaste.
Her gaze flicked over them briefly, before she spoke in a low, indifferent tone. "Good riddance," she muttered, a faint smirk playing on her lips.
"'Weakness is a burden that must be discarded,' she said, patting Viri's head as if she were a dog."
Viri glanced over her shoulder, her eyes locking onto the girl. She stopped in her tracks, her expression shifting as her eyes widened, a flash of recognition passing through them.
She didn't respond.