"You're leveling up so fast, Yurnero."
Seated across from each other at a small table in the outdoor café, the two held cups of warm black coffee. Although winter had arrived in the real world, the temperature here was beginning to rise, and today's weather was exceptionally pleasant, even on the forest-themed Third Floor.
The warm sunlight filtering through the dense foliage of the giant trees brushed against their cheeks. The white ceramic cups felt smooth in their hands, and the black coffee inside rippled gently. Nearby, the lively chirping of birds perched in the trees filled the air.
The scene resembled people enjoying the good life, yet Satoru showed no sign of contentment. Ultimately, it was because, during this rare break, the person he had met was a man.
Diavel looked at him with his usual smile.
"I didn't show you my level, did I?"
Satoru folded his arms and sighed.
"Haha, I could feel your aura getting stronger," Diavel said jokingly. "Besides, anyone who hunts nonstop on the front lines with maximum efficiency will see their EXP bar skyrocket."
"It's going to be a real challenge not to run into you in the Labyrinth Tower."
"Stop talking like that. It's making me uncomfortable."
Satoru bared his teeth slightly.
After the Third Floor opened, he had immediately resumed his usual intense grinding. With the help of an exceptionally talented young female swordsman partner, his pace had only become more extreme. Thinking that it would be a waste not to push efficiency further with such a capable teammate, he had dragged Sheeta along into his relentless routine.
The girl had never complained and simply endured it all. In the end, even he felt a little embarrassed.
So today, on the third day, he had planned to return to town and treat his partner. However, halfway there, he was stopped by this oddly effeminate guy.
He had even asked Argo for the location of this well-known café, only to end up here with a man instead of his partner. The thought left him deep in contemplation.
Was this simply his fate in life?
He glanced at the girl seated at the table next to them. The blonde girl sat alone, but at least she was busy digging into the luxurious cake in front of her, so it didn't seem like she would suddenly say something like "let's go our separate ways."
Hmm… it's rare for me to feel guilty toward someone.
Satoru let out another sigh.
"Well, actually, I'm mainly here to make a request," Diavel said.
"What kind of request?"
"You've probably heard that guild quests will open on the Third Floor, right?"
"Yeah."
"I've been swamped with that lately as well."
Diavel paused slightly.
"A few days ago, many of us decided that I would organize a frontline team focused on clearing content, while Kibaou and the others would form a sub-guild. The sub-guild won't participate in the clearing effort with us. Instead, they'll take care of the lower-level players we've left behind."
"They'll act as guides for the large number of players still stuck in the Town of Beginnings."
"That's a good idea. If that many players can be mobilized…"
Satoru responded noncommittally.
It was undoubtedly the right approach, yet he felt a faint resistance. Perhaps it stemmed from his past experience as a power-leveling player. Online games were inherently competitive. Where there was a first place, there would always be a second. Having superior levels and equipment, and striving for higher rankings, had become almost instinctive.
A top-tier group going out of its way to pull the weaker players along, such a thing might only exist in this distorted death game.
"In this world, everyone should be tightly bound together as one."
"So what exactly do you want me to do? You're not asking me to join that so-called sub-guild, are you?"
Diavel had already invited him to join the Divine Dragons Alliance before.
"No, no. That would be a waste of your current frontline progress, wouldn't it? On the contrary, I hope you can be the first among us to take the plunge."
Diavel shook his head.
"What do you mean?"
"Starting from the Third Floor, the true difficulty of this game begins to show. The beasts on the First Floor, the debuff-using monsters on the Second Floor, and from the Third Floor onward, demi-human enemies with troublesome sword skills. We can't rely too heavily on closed beta information anymore. We've already tasted the consequences in the previous two floor battles."
Diavel spoke in a low, heavy tone.
"So I believe that gathering intelligence and improving strength at the same time is the fastest and safest way to clear this game."
"Also, starting from the Third Floor, there's a large-scale continuous quest that extends all the way to the ninth floor. The rewards go without saying, and the information we can obtain will definitely be important. But at the same time, it requires a great deal of time and effort."
"That kind of thing would be much easier if we waited until the ninth floor and came back to do it, relying on our level and equipment advantage…"
Satoru paused mid-sentence, suddenly realizing something.
"Yes. During the beta, many players completed those campaign quests that way. But the premise is reaching the ninth floor."
Diavel gently swirled his porcelain cup.
"The information on the Taurus King from the Second Floor was hidden within a quest near the Labyrinth Tower. It's very likely that information about the bosses from the Third Floor to the ninth floor is contained within this chain quest."
"But if it's just about gathering intelligence, mobilizing the entire guild would be a waste of manpower. As for the rewards, we can simply come back later and claim everything at once."
Satoru raised an eyebrow.
"So you're thinking of sending a small team to follow the quest and secure reliable information
"That's right," Diavel nodded with a smile. "My team and I have to complete guild quests over the next few days, and so do Kibaou and the others. After that, we'll have to head down to the lower levels to handle matters for the players in the Town of Beginnings. It's all very time-consuming."
"But we can't just sit around doing nothing, can we?"
"That's why I want you to take on that campaign quest. Given the current level and strength of the frontline group, you're a top priority. Plus, considering how efficient you've been at solo hunting, you might actually be surprisingly good at this kind of solo work."
Diavel coaxed him gently.
So "lone wolf" has a nicer-sounding alternative. "Solo worker."
"If it's just gathering information, aren't there information brokers who are better suited for that?"
Satoru felt he couldn't just be saddled with this so easily. You can't expect a horse to run without giving it any hay. That's just not how it works.
"When it comes to gathering information, sure, but campaign quests involve actually going out and fighting your way through them."
Diavel smiled naturally.
"Yurnero, you may be someone who places great importance on character power, the type who cares about rankings. Otherwise, you wouldn't have pushed yourself so hard. But… the rules of this game have changed. Even if you reach the finish line alone, it won't do any good."
"Admittedly, taking on this job will yield far fewer benefits than if you acted alone, but we'll provide compensation. Consider it a fee for the commission."
The Blue Knight's expression grew serious.
"If you were in my position, you'd understand that in an online game, there's a limit to what a single player can achieve."
"As for me personally, there's a bit of self-interest involved in this commission."
Satoru felt uneasy when he heard that.
"Self-interest…?"
He looked the knight up and down, then shrank back slightly.
"Bro… I don't swing that way."
"Neither do I…" Diavel rolled his eyes. "What I mean is, if you accept this commission, once the job is done, the entire player community will benefit."
"You looked out for me during the previous floor battles, and that time with the Kobold Lord. If it weren't for you, I might have died."
His tone softened.
"I'm truly grateful to you, and I've always hoped you'd join the Divine Dragons Alliance. Once this commission is completed and you have a track record, if you join, even if I immediately promote you and elevate your status, there won't be any gossip."
"Besides, you're more than capable of handling the role."
What you're saying makes perfect sense, and I understand it.
Satoru frowned, his expression turning strange.
But why do I get this strong sense of an unspoken rule?
"What do you think?"
Diavel extended another sincere invitation.
Seeing no reason to refuse, Satoru slowly sipped his coffee.
Having once belonged to top-tier guilds under various studios, he understood exactly how powerful a large guild could be. Logistics, intelligence, event priority, all the benefits it brought. He knew all of it well.
Besides… the time for frantically building up a single character should be over by now.
He glanced at Sheeta, who was still eating her cake. The girl looked like a little hamster, her cheeks puffed out as she chewed, making him smile involuntarily.
He could agree.
But… what about the group's impression of him?
The image of that raincoat-clad player flashed through his mind, along with what had happened on that eerie night.
He set down his cup. A brief silence followed.
"Alright. I'll take on the campaign quest. She'll come along too."
Satoru pointed at Sheeta, who was eating with a satisfied smile.
"With Sheeta-san being top-tier in both looks and strength, the people in our guild would be more than happy to have her join," Diavel laughed. "They'd probably even shout for me to hand over the guild leader position to her. Honestly… it seems she already has a fan club."
"You've got to be kidding…"
Satoru took a deep breath.
But… maybe that's for the best, he thought.
At least if he dies, she'll still be able to fit in and won't be looked down on.