Lira clutched her stomach, still laughing uncontrollably. "You look tasty," she wheezed, barely holding herself up. Just the sight of Ren's face sent her into another fit of giggles.
"Tch. SHUT UP!" Ren growled.
He stood there, painfully aware of how absurd he looked. A black jacket with gold embroidery hugged his frame, making him feel ridiculously fancy. A white ruffled cravat was tied at his neck, secured with a purple gemstone brooch that screamed I'm richer than you. Gold cords wrapped around his waist, matching the shiny buttons on his fitted vest. The jacket's high collar added to the noble aesthetic, and the intricate lacing on the vest only made it worse.
Yeah… this was the most expensive royal cosplay in the shop, and Ren still had no idea why the hell he was wearing it.
Lira wiped a tear from her eye. "I mean, I should probably protect you from men too, hahahaha! Why don't you just get reborn as a noble, huh? Hahahaha!"
Ren twitched, forcing a pained smile. "When will you stop that?!"
[You look tasty. Hah ha.]
WHAT. THE. FUCK.
Ren snapped his gaze toward Lira, and immediately froze.
She was stunning.
Draped in a deep blue princess dress that perfectly matched her shimmering eyes, her hair cascaded over her shoulders like something straight out of a fantasy novel. The elegant gown fit her so naturally that, for a second, Ren almost forgot she was an absolute menace.
Snapping out of it, he crossed his arms. "So… what's the meaning of this? And what's gonna happen to that old man now?"
Lira flicked her wrist dismissively. "Oh, my skill's effects will wear off in two days. He'll know he got scammed, but he won't be able to track me down." She grinned, clearly proud of herself.
Ren narrowed his eyes. "You can force people with your skill, right? Then why all the damn drama?"
Lira smirked. "Because watching your confused face is hilarious, hah ha!"
Ren deadpanned. "But seriously, where did that guy even get that much money?"
Lira leaned in, crossing her arms. "Ya see, everyone here is a player, right? But not everyone has combat skills. Some have cooking skills, some got business skills, some are farmers, drivers, whatever. There are all kinds of skills. Since they can't fight, they don't climb the Tower, they make a living outside. Where do you think all the food, vehicles, and supplies come from? From non-combat players, aka Irregulars. And unlike combat-type players, their skills level up just by doing their jobs, not by killing monsters."
Ren rubbed his temple. "You just made that way more complicated."
"Are you an idiot?!" Lira groaned. "Look, I'm a swindler. My skill levels up when I scam people, not when I fight. That's why climbing the Tower is basically suicide for me! I'd die in a second!"
Ren blinked. "...So you're telling me your literal game mechanic is to be a con artist?"
"Yup!" Lira gave him a thumbs-up. "And I'm damn good at it."
Ren exhaled sharply. This damn scammer…
"You can tell from the start if you're a combat type or not. Our systems are different. We don't have the usual stats like strength or agility. Ours are already at normal human levels. What we get instead is a skill that levels up just by doing our job. Pretty sweet, huh? And of course, we can unlock even more skills as we go. That's why we irregulars tend to focus on living outside and making money since we can't afford the ultimate gift: a second chance at life!"
She grinned, clearly enjoying herself. "But no worries! Why do you think we work our butts off? So we can buy a second chance at life from the players who got one. Heh, money really is everything!"
And Ren was surprised. If everyone is a player, combat or not, then what happened to people who choose not to become players in the first place?
Ren raised an eyebrow, looking her up and down. "You know, you kinda sound like a villain right now."
And then he realized something.
"Ah god damn, I forgot it! stop forcing me to hear your stories." Ren groaned, facepalming.
Lira winked playfully. "Aha~ I got caught."
Ren paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing. "Wait...So, why are we wearing this ridiculous stuff again?"
They were standing in the heart of Tokyo, surrounded by the bustling crowds. Amidst the towering buildings, Lira pointed toward a circular structure that gleamed with expensive glass. "That's Aurum House," she said, her voice casual. "We're going there."
The journey from Shinjuku to Tokyo had taken exactly an hour, and as Ren took in his surroundings, he realized how packed the city was. There were criminals everywhere, All the players from the Asian continent had gathered here to climb the Tower. They were countless and mixed in with the irregulars from Japan and other countries, all aiming to make business here. The place felt suffocating with the sheer number of people.
They slowly made their way toward the Aurum House, and Ren noticed something strange. They weren't the only ones dressed like this. Outside of the servants, every man was wearing a Western royal or noble outfit, and the women were dressed in princess gowns. It felt like a cosplay event, but with much more serious undertones.
Lira, noticing his puzzled expression, grinned. "This is the annual party hosted by Aurum House. All the top players are invited, along with the most influential irregulars. It's the event where all the high-status criminals in the Asian continent gather." She shrugged, her tone nonchalant, though her eyes sparkled with something darker. "You know, just your typical criminal gathering."
It was getting dark, almost 6 p.m. The city lights blinked on, but there was something different here. The lights of Aurum House shone with a golden hue, unlike the usual neon buzz of Shinjuku. Tokyo felt more like a bustling business hub than a city of chaos. And in the middle of it all, the Aurum House stood like a royal palace, out of place in the modern world.
"So, what exactly are we supposed to do here?" Ren asked, still not quite understanding.
Lira's gaze turned serious. "It's the place where Tokyo graveyard is built in the living world. But here, in the spirit world, it doesn't exist. So, isn't the graveyard forgotten?"
Ren frowned, mulling over her words. There was logic to it, but something about the explanation didn't sit right with him. It felt... off, somehow. The pieces were there, but the picture wasn't quite clear.
Wait! Let's just give it a try!
The Aurum House was as expensive on the inside as it was on the outside. When they stopped at the door to the party hall, Ren turned around to take a look since Lira had said she would take care of the entrance.
"Let's go," she said with a smile.
"Is it all done?" Ren asked, clearly surprised. They weren't top players or top irregulars, so how did they get in? Ah, it must have been her word enchant or something. But those guards must've been advanced players, too. Was she really on a higher level than them to pull something like that off?
As they entered the party room, Ren was hit with the full effect of the western royal theme. It was like stepping into a castle, with nobles everywhere. And Lira? She was practically bouncing off the walls, clearly excited. People were mingling in groups, some drinking, others having deep conversations, and some were sitting alone, clearly giving off the "don't talk to me" vibes.
"Oiii! Look!!" Lira grabbed Ren's hand with a burst of excitement.
Ren had no idea what was coming next.
She pointed at a guy surrounded by women. He had pure white hair, a bit tousled, and long white eyelashes that made him look like he had just walked out of a fantasy novel. His sparkling blue eyes were enough to make anyone stare, and his white-and-light-blue royal prince outfit screamed "I'm the main character." And the worst part? Ren recognized him. He was Lira's idol, SNOW.
"Ah, isn't he just...admiring?" Lira said, her face flushing as she smiled dreamily.
Ren deadpanned. "Is that so?"
"Oh, oh! Are you jealous, Ryuu?" Lira leaned into his face, eyes twinkling mischievously.
"Why should I be?" Ren asked, almost too quickly. "Seriously, why should I?"
Ren didn't even know how he was supposed to find a mask in this mess. This couldn't possibly be the place for that, right? What was going on here?
The hall was filled with unfamiliar faces, and all of them were criminals. If this were the living world, and Ren had been here on a mission, he thought, most of them would've been dead by now. What a gathering of scoundrels. And that included himself, too.
"Wait, if all the top players are here, then Black Jailer-"
"Don't worry!" Lira cut him off, a grin spreading across her face. "He never joins these types of things."
Ren raised an eyebrow, slightly relieved but still cautious. "What kind of people are here, then?"
Lira tossed her hair, excited to explain. "Most of the players here are A Rank or B Rank. And the irregulars? Well, they're the ones with the most influence and money in this world." She flashed him a smug look as if she were one of them.
"No S Ranks?" Ren asked, genuinely curious. He wasn't as interested in the irregulars as Lira was; the only thing that caught his attention were the combat-type players.
Lira's eyes sparkled. "Oh, there are only a few S Ranks in the world. Four in the entire Asian continent. And guess what? You can meet three of them here." She pointed to different corners of the room as she spoke. "Look over there, the man in the green suit? That's Little Sparrow. He's an S Rank player with the mage class."
Ren turned his head in the direction Lira pointed. A slim man with Indian skin was smiling and chatting with others, his green suit standing out among the crowd.
"And near the food table, that guy wearing the long black coat? Frost-Fang. He's an S Rank knight-class player." Lira continued, as if she were giving a tour of the elite.
Ren followed her gaze again, spotting a tall man in a black coat, surrounded by a few others, his stance commanding.
"Lastly, standing next to Snow, the one in silver? That's Azrael. He's a Seraph class, a special class." Lira said, a little too casually.
Ren froze. His stomach dropped. God damn it. He had completely forgotten that Azrael would be here. If Azrael saw him and recognized him, there was no way this was going to end peacefully.
"So, what exactly are we doing here?" Ren asked, trying to blend into the crowd. Yeah, he needed to be invisible. Very invisible.
Lira grinned. "Mmm, this party is just a cover. At the end of it, the auction will start. Most of the VIP criminals here will be participating. And that's also what we're aiming for."
Ren frowned. "You said it's just a cover… why would criminals need a cover when we're literally in a world run by criminals?"
Lira gave him a dumbfounded look, as if questioning how his brain worked. "It's just a figure of speech. Don't think too hard."
"Okay, okay," Ren muttered, taking slow steps backward. Since Azrael was really here, he needed distance. Preferably, an entire country's worth of it.
Unfortunately, Lira noticed what he was doing. And worse, he didn't notice the sly grin forming on her face.
Just as Ren took another step back, Lira casually crossed her leg in back of him.
And just like that, he tripped.
"Dammit!" Ren cursed, bracing for impact. But before he could hit the floor, someone caught him.
Lira was already hiding her face behind her hand, her shoulders shaking from silent laughter.
"Thank you," Ren muttered, looking up at his savior.
A handsome young man smiled at him gently, waving a hand.
"It's okay," Snow said.
Wait.
Wait, wait, wait, WAIT.
WHEN DID THIS GUY GET BEHIND ME?!
Ren could've sworn Snow was standing in front of him just a second ago!
Then, his gaze dropped to the wine glass in Snow's hand.
Ah.
So that's it. He came here to grab a drink. Meaning- his movement speed was insane.
This guy is definitely an assassin-class player.
"I don't think I've seen you around before," Snow said, suddenly leaning in closer to Ren.
WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP LEANING INTO MY FACE?! Ren's inner thoughts screamed.
Before he could even answer, Snow nodded to himself. "Ah, right! You must be a new player who recently made it to the top! Hahaha."
"Yeah, that's right," Lira butted in, smiling sweetly.
Ren's eye twitched.
That sneaky little brat.
So this was why she tripped him?! She wanted to talk to Snow but was too shy to start the conversation herself. so she used ME as bait?!
Ren narrowed his eyes, studying Snow carefully.
His aura felt… off. Not in a bad way, but different. Cold, yet oddly gentle.
"So, what's your name? Or your player name?" Snow asked, casually snatching two wine glasses from a passing waiter and offering them to Ren and Lira.
Ren smirked. "I'm just a mere player. Not worthy of your attention."
Snow blinked in surprise before chuckling. "Hah, I see. No worries." He clearly took the hint that Ren didn't want to reveal himself.
Huh. What a polite brat.
Ren half-expected him to be arrogant, considering his popularity, but he was surprisingly easygoing.
Finally, Snow turned to Lira, like he just realized she existed.
"So… is this young lady your girlfriend?" he asked, tilting his head.
Ren stiffened. The hell kind of question was that?
Lira, on the other hand, nearly choked on her drink. "Pffft-Wha-?! Of course not!" she exclaimed, waving her hands frantically.
Ren sighed in relief, but then,
"Ahhh, I see," Snow nodded, taking a sip from his wine glass. "So it's a complicated relationship, huh?"
WHAT?!
Ren shot Lira a glare. "Say something."
Lira, still flustered, crossed her arms. "Hmph! Well, this guy here would be totally lost without me, so you could say I'm his guardian angel."
Ren's face twitched. Guardian angel my ass! More like a demon in disguise.
Snow chuckled, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "I see. You two are quite close."
Lira puffed up proudly. "Of course! But enough about us, Mr. Snow, I'm a big fan,"
And just like that, Ren was forgotten. Damn scammy brat, using me as a stepping stone to meet her idol.
He took the glass Snow offered earlier and downed it in one go.
But as he did, a thought crossed his mind.
Why does it feel like someone is watching me?