A girl nearby laughed, overhearing our conversation. I glanced over and saw her standing there, wearing armor that seamlessly blended with her surroundings.
She looks almost like a ninja.
Her white hair was tied back with a black hair tie, and her green eyes locked onto mine with an intense gaze.
"I heard about the wager with Ascend?" she said, noticing my attention.
"Does everyone know about that?" I muttered, half to myself.
She grinned, stepping closer. "I'm Shino, of the Crusaders Guild. My guild leader mentioned that you might need some help. If you ever do, just let me know."
Viri narrowed her eyes. "He said exactly that."
Shino smiled back. "I know; I was there." She handed me a card from the Crusaders Guild. "He told me to give you this."
Eli looked at me, her face unreadable, but she gave me a smile as if trying to reassure me.
"We won't need your help," Eli said with a firm tone. "Doesn't your guild not use magic? You'd be useless on Floors 9 and 10 anyway."
Shino chuckled softly. "Only Floor 9. There are other ways to beat Floor 10 besides magic."
I blinked. "Isn't magic already useless on Floor 10?"
"And how would you beat Floor 10?" Eli asked.
"Classified," Shino replied with a sly grin. "But aren't you trying to recreate our mana bombs? Consider our guild's help an act of benevolence."
"Benevolence?" Tenshi whispered.
Without another word, Shino disappeared. She vanishing completely. There was no light, no magic; she just was gone.
Eli looked confused, but we continued on toward the capital.
The transformation of the castle was impressive. It now stood tall, decorated with banners of icy blue and white, snowflake emblems proudly displayed on its walls. It looked nothing like the ruined state it had been in before. Solid, well-fortified, and pristine.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The sound of our knocking echoed through the quiet street. The door slowly creaked open, revealing a man standing there. His gray hair caught the fading light.
He gave a small nod. "I'm Kenjiro Sato, Sho's dad."
Before I could respond, a soft shimmer filled the air beside him.
Sho appeared.
Her usual calm expression faltered as she noticed her dad's introduction.
She rolled her eyes. "Dad, please stop introducing yourself like that. You're ruining my scary vibe."
Mr. Sato chuckled. "Scary vibe? You mean that intimidating aura you try to keep up?"
"Dad, why don't you listen? I've told you like a thousand times," Sho said, exasperated.
He grinned. "You're just putting me under a lot of pressure."
"Yeah, well, you're supposed to be my top general. You're meant to strike fear into the opposition."
He winked. "Someone's gotta keep you grounded."
She sighed but smiled. "Just don't make it a habit."
"I'll introduce myself again," Mr. Sato said with a chuckle.
Sho teleported away just as smoothly as she had appeared.
He bowed, much like someone would before a king. "Kenjiro Sato of the Sho Guild, at your service," he introduced himself. "I'm honored to welcome you."
He ushered us in, and there, sitting in a large chair in the center of the entrance hall, was Sho. She looked every bit the queen, poised and unbothered, her gaze steady and unwavering.
Mr. Sato stepped aside, his posture straight as he stood by her.
Sho's expression held a hint of disappointment, which immediately set a tense atmosphere. The pristine interior of the castle was a stark contrast to its earlier ruined state. It was impressive how quickly they had turned it around.
Sho was known as the strongest player in the world, and at just sixteen, she commanded the respect of everyone. Her titles like the Gale Empress and the Strongest carried weight. And now, she sat like royalty, waiting for us to approach.
We bowed before her, and her voice rang out, firm and commanding. "Where is Reyna?"
Tenshi stepped forward and snapped her fingers. A white rune appeared, and when the light cleared, Reyna stood there, bowing in respect.
"I apologize for my tardiness," Reyna said. "I had some debts to settle."
Sho's eyes narrowed, her voice stern as she spoke. "Rise."
The invisible force that followed her command made me stand involuntarily, my body obeying against my will.
"Is this not important to you?" Sho asked, her tone sharp. Mr. Sato stood beside her silently, his presence unyielding.
"No," Reyna responded quickly. "We'll complete it as soon as possible." She stood tall and respectful, her demeanor unwavering.
Sho's gaze lingered on me for a moment, and I felt a chill under her cold, indifferent eyes. Unlike Valen, who had shown disgust, Sho's gaze felt like it was evaluating something, calculating my worth in silence.
"You do now, don't you… ?" Sho mumbled, then paused. "It's not my place."
A silver light enveloped me, and in an instant, I found myself back on Floor 1 in City 23rd.