[ The constellation "Silver Owl" has sent you a gift. ]
[ You have obtained a Rank (B) Skill Stone. ]
Hmm, nice. I got the skill stone I wanted. I hope it grants me a good ability—preferably something defensive.
"Well, I guess I'll use this when I get home."
[ The constellation "Silver Owl" smiles at you and says it will soon assign you more missions. ]
I pull out a bottle of whiskey from the system's storage and, using the edge of the step I'm sitting on, pop the cap open.
"Good thing I brought this whiskey with me."
I raise the bottle and say:
"Here's to the Silver Owl and its rewards."
Then, I take a swig.
"Ah, damn, this stuff is amazing."
_Bang
At the exact moment the gunshot rings out, the whiskey bottle explodes.
Frustrated, I slam the remaining shards of the bottle onto the ground and shout:
"Seriously?! You won't even let me enjoy my drink in peace?!"
The tall man holding a revolver blows on the barrel to clear away the smoke, then, in a cold tone, says:
"I thought you called us here for an important meeting, not to get drunk on whiskey. Isn't that right, boss?"
[Ten minutes later]
"Hmmm, free food really is the best."
The man sitting across the table, staring at his empty wallet, mumbled just barely above a whisper:
"You jerk... It's not free... I paid for it."
_"well, well, what did you want to talk about?"
The man sighs, slips his wallet back into his pocket, and says:
"I got in touch with the other group members. Only Mia and Cain said they could make it."
He pauses for a moment, then continues:
"Okay, but before Mia arrives, there are a few things I need to tell you."
.
.
.
"Alright, that's all I wanted to say."
I dip my last fry in mayonnaise and pop it into my mouth.
"You've been talking for a full ten minutes—I've got a headache. Don't worry about that; leave it to me."
As I was speaking, another irritating voice cut in.
"Umm, Ryan, I just remembered I have something important to do... and, umm... I need to go."
The moment Kevin stood up from his chair to leave, Ryan suddenly grabbed his wrist.
"B-boss, you're not going to leave me alone, are you?"
Sweat dripped from Ryan's forehead, and his trembling hands made it clear how terrified he was.
Kevin's unease was just as obvious.
"Of course, I won't leave you alone. I just can't stay here right now."
While the two of them were arguing, someone approached Kevin from behind.
A hand was placed on Kevin's shoulder.
"Hello, Mr. Black Player. I'd really like to know—what exactly did you do to make the whole world want to kill you?"
Kevin froze in fear the moment he heard that voice.
×××
"F-fine, I'll tell you everything... Please, just let me live!"
The man, dressed in a crimson and black robe-like garment worn open like a coat, moved his thin-bladed black sword slightly away from his neck.
He said nothing, only the sound of his breathing could be heard. The masked figure, who was slaughtering everyone here, didn't remove his mask for even a moment.
The man, noticing the blade moving away from his neck, felt this was his chance to attack the masked figure.
Quickly, he pulled a dagger out from the system's storage.
"I'll kill you, you bastard!"
'Huh?... What just happened?... Why can I see my own body?...'
The man's head was sent flying into the air.
These were the thoughts running through his mind before he completely lost consciousness.
The man with the crimson mask wiped his sword clean with a piece of cloth.
"The true masters... Wait for me. I'll be there soon. The Blood Resurrection has begun..."
×××
Kevin sat on the chair, his head hung low in shame, staring at the ground.
"You idiot! How many times do I have to get into trouble because of your actions?!"
The girl, with short blue hair and sky-colored eyes, was yelling furiously.
She continued shouting without pause:
"Do you even know how much trouble I've been through these past few days?! And then, without even apologizing for the mess you caused, after disappearing from the game for months without a word, you suddenly text me saying, 'Come to restaurant XXX.' The moment I saw your message, I wanted to crush your skull!"
The girl spat out these words rapidly and angrily, without taking a single breath.
"Here, drink some water and calm down," Kevin said with a smile, holding out a glass of cold water to the blue-haired girl.
"I... don't... want... water!!!" she screamed the last part of her sentence.
"Well, if you don't want it, I'll drink it myself," Kevin said calmly and took a sip of the water.
"Tch..you.."
Ryan, noticing the girl's face turning red with anger, quickly stood up, walked over to her, and raised his hands in front of her to prevent any confrontation.
"Mia, we came here for more important matters, so please, just this once, forgive this stupid, rude, and uncivilized animal Kevin," Ryan said in a trembling voice.
Kevin, who had been tolerating Ryan's words up until that moment, smiled and said:
"Ryan, darling, don't hold back—throw a few more insults my way." Kevin's tone was dripping with sarcasm.
Ryan shot him a glare before turning back to Mia and saying:
"Alright, let's start the meeting."
He then returned to his seat. Although Mia still seemed somewhat angry, she managed to compose herself and sat down next to Ryan, directly across from Kevin.
At that moment, Kevin placed his hands on the table and said:
"Alright, alright, the topic of our meeting... is the Land of Night."