I sit at the desk in my room, looking around and cleaning up the mess. Notes cover the tables, and below them, a small bookcase to the left holds books on lightning magic — most of which I learned but couldn't use.
I hate it. Beneath the papers and piles of plates lies a small ID — my RG ID.
=================
RG:
Eli
Class: Debuffer
Mana Count: ~2m
Mana Rating: Steel
Overall Rank: C
=================
I wonder to myself if I should get another RG ID. Would it even matter? I never use it anyway — I'm already in a guild.
I look at the metal ID. It shines in the light of the day, and I hate it. I hate how I'd be even lower than Orange now. I hate it. It hurts. I hate it. I hate the way things turned out, and yet... I know I need to move forward. I can't keep blaming others. This was my fault.
I was soft. I thought this world wouldn't hurt me as much as Earth did.
I need to be stronger. I need to be stronger.
I think back to Reyna's conversation with Adrian, with the Crusaders. One line keeps ringing over and over in my head:
"Go to the capital and find out."
I want to know what he meant. I want to see the outside world more than I have in the last week because, at heart, I'm an adventurer. I want to explore. I tell myself this over and over.
I also want to know what Pendant's plan is. If I know her — which I do — she and the Ten Slayers are going to enact a plan that will hurt the most people.
Technically, it's Nine Slayers. They haven't found a tenth.
I chuckle to myself.
Adrian and his guild are a glamour guild. I'm sure Reyna wouldn't trust them without reason. They had beaten the first floor of the tower — they'd become a beacon of hope for players with low mana since most of their guild doesn't even use magic.
I wonder how they teleported through the floors. It's a skill — a magic skill that allows for that. The thought echoes in my head, over and over.
The sound of rummaging breaks my focus. Viri and Teruki are yelling at each other about something — probably nothing important.
Reyna's voice cuts through, calm and impartial. Something about a cake. I can't be bothered to check.
I still don't know what's waiting on the ninth floor or even what the boss is. They said it's different from the game. Reyna also mentioned we'd need warm armor and gear — none of which I've needed so far.
Maybe I'll get some, I think. Just head to the capital quickly.
That's the excuse I give myself.
But in truth... that's not it. It's because of what Pendant said. I know there's something on that floor — something important. Something on the next floor.
And I want to figure out what.
"Floor_2," I whisper to myself.
A bright red light enveloped me.
CRACK
I found myself in the center of a giant city, a vast plaza that stretched for miles, resembling multiple football fields put together. The area buzzed with activity. Players in armor similar to mine, leather, and even iron armor, each looked resolute in their missions.
Standing in the central plaza, I observed the distinct quadrants of the city.
To the north, the White Quadrant gleamed with wind-powered structures and airborne transportation.
To the south, the Green Quadrant's terraced landscapes and green roofs embodied stability and environmental harmony.
To the east, the Blue Quadrant shimmered with flowing water features and frost-enchanted gear. To the west, the Red Quadrant blazed with flame-fueled sculptures.
In the center, light and dark magic coexisted, their energies clashing as white and black swirls vied for the attention of adventurers.
I spawn within a teleport circle at the center of the capital.
It's more crowded than usual — people stand shoulder to shoulder, packed so tightly I can barely move. Even the teleport circle itself keeps flickering and shifting from the constant flow of adventurers phasing in and out. Streaks of red light crisscross the sky, adventurers blinking between floors in rapid bursts.
Then — a scream.
A sharp, high-pitched cry cuts through the noise. I turn my head toward the sound. It's a young girl with brown hair and purple eyes.
Her hair is tied back in a short ponytail, strands falling loose along her face.
The crowd turns too, murmurs rippling through the streets. People stare at me.
"What's she wearing?" someone mutters.
"Is that her?" another asks.
I push through the crowd. Weaving past clusters of people huddled together. There's a booth ahead. The crowd circles around me, arms stretched out.
As I move closer, the tension sharpens. People start throwing tomatoes, their shouts rising over the noise.
"Why's she here?" someone spits.
"Is this a stunt?"
"A player killer…"
At the apex of the crowd, I see her — Pendant.
She stands in front of a booth lined with hundreds of small orbs, each one engraved with runes too small to read. The faint glow of mana flickers from within them, casting soft reflections across the wooden counter.
This Pendant's hair is shorter than I remember — cut to her shoulders instead of the long hair she once had.
She notices me. A small grin crosses her face.
Before I can say a word, a tomato strikes me in the head.