*sigh . . . "Let's go. This part of the map is a dead end. We're wasting time here." Ren said and turned to leave.
Leonel laced his hands behind his head, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Too bad. I kinda enjoyed watching those players vanish, though," he said with a snicker, trailing lazily after Ren.
Meanwhile, Isolde lingered for a moment, her gaze fixed on the two dark elves guarding the entrance to their territory. Her wide eyes gleamed with awe and admiration. Those two weren't just powerful—they were undeniably cool.
She was also an Elf, and she was thinking if she could change her race into a Dark Elf.
"Is it possible to become like them one day?" Isolde asked when she caught up to Ren and Leonel.
"Who? Those two dark elves?" asked Leonel.
Isolde nodded, and Leonel smacked his fist on his palm. "Right, you're an elf too."
He then looked at Ren and asked, "Ren, you know about this stuff. Is it possible for her to change race?"
Ren grumbled under his breath when Isolde and Leonel looked at him with shining, expectant eyes.
". . . Yes."
"Oh!"
Both Leon and Isolde couldn't contain their grin.
"Then how about me? Is there another race for dwarves? Like a dwarf-dwarf?"
Ren raised a brow. "Dwarf-dwarf?
"You know, like a smaller dwarf!"
Ren stifled a laugh. "You still wanted to be small?"
"If there's a chance that I can be smaller still, then I'll take it."
"You should have told me that you wanted to be a bug in the first place. They're the smallest living things in this world."
Isolde laughed, and Leonel whined.
"You know what I'm talking about."
The three chatted their way towards Gargantuan Cave and stopped when they noticed that something was amiss.
Ahead, there were players surrounding the cave entrance, barging other players from taking a step forward.
"What's going on?" Isolde asked a player nearby.
The player's face was dark. "Those bunch wanted to monopolize Gargantuan cave and wouldn't let others inside!" he complained.
Ren looked over at the group that the player was pointing to and recognized some of their faces.
It was the Poison Viper guild — a group of rugged tugs who would do anything to get ahead of the others. Though the guild feature wasn't introduced yet, some players had already formed their guilds and groups to take advantage of their numbers.
Like this for instance where Poison Viper used their numbers to threaten other players and gain dominance over the game.
Their leader, Vein, was a notorious player—one whose name carried a mix of awe and disdain. Despite his impressive level, top-tier equipment, and exceptional skill set, his questionable character was the true hallmark of his reputation.
Claiming an entire leveling field as his own was merely the tip of the iceberg. Even at this early stage, his guild was already wreaking havoc across the area, making life miserable for everyone—especially the newbies who couldn't possibly contend with their overwhelming numbers.
If it were just ten of them, most players could probably hold their ground. But there were more than twenty now, and their ranks were growing by the day. Many new players joined not out of loyalty or admiration, but out of fear—better to side with the tyrants than become their next victims. At least by joining a stronger force, they could grind in relative peace.
If you couldn't defeat them, then join them. Ren thought and shook his head in dismay.
Their numbers surrounded the cave's only entrance, and it was impossible to enter without a confrontation.
"What should we do?" Leonel asked. He was starting to get worried.
"Should we alert the game about this?" said Isolde.
Ren didn't reply. Alerting the developers or customer service about this behavior wouldn't bore any fruit since this was allowed. COVENANT was a guild-driven game, and the developers greatly welcomed anything that would encourage the players, whether good or bad, to join a guild.
Ren thought for a second. This was troublesome since he wanted to avoid PvP battles this early on. But there was another way if they waited . . .
"Hey."
Ren and the others' attention flicked to an Orc who was approaching their direction.
The Orc stood at about the same height as Ren, though his frame was leaner. His skin bore a deep shade of green, his ears small and pointed, and his nostrils wide. Two sharp lower tusks jutted past his lips, giving him a perpetually menacing look.
But what stood out most was his light blue hair, tied back with a piece of bone that pulled his fringe away from his broad forehead.
Among the many races, Orcs were often considered the most hideous—but they packed a punch like no other. Few players chose the race willingly; most who did were simply following guild orders, ensuring their faction had an Orc representative in case of race-related quests or bonuses.
Ren, Isolde, and Leonel exchanged quick glances, subtly checking the area for any companions the Orc might have brought. But from the looks of it, he was alone—and his business was clearly with them.
Ren juggled his memory if he knew the green-skinned Orc but failed.
Although he had this nagging feeling that the Orc was very familiar, especially with that protruding light blue hair and frosty eyes of his.
"I'm talking to you," the Orc said as soon as he was in front of Ren and the others.
Leonel pointed at himself. "Me?"
The Orc nodded. "We met a while ago. At Gargino Restaurant," he said, eyeing Ren and Leonel.
". . ."
". . ."
Ren took a step back and gasped. "R-Ragnar Axis?"
Ragnar nodded. "Yes. I supposed that everyone knows my name."
"You know him?" Leonel asked Ren.
"He's that blue-haired guy a while ago together with that blonde girl."
Leonel's expression was blank for a moment—his brain clearly still buffering—before realization finally hit him. His gaze swept over Ragnar several times, from the Orc's heavy boots all the way up to the bone-tied blue hair atop his head.
His jaw dropped. "T-that pretty boy turned into this?! What?! How did that even happen?! Why would you choose that race?!"
Ragnar arched a brow, unimpressed. "Says the giant who decided to be a dwarf."
"Ragnar . . . is that really you?" Isolde asked, narrowing her big eyes as if squinting hard enough would bring back the face she remembered.
Ragnar nodded. "Yes. It's me, Isolde. Nice meeting you too. I wasn't going to approach them, but I noticed that you're in their group."
"You knew each other?" Leonel asked Isolde.
Ragnar and Isolde both nodded their heads at the same time.
"We're sometimes brought by our parents when they discuss business," Ragnar said simply.
"Anyway," cut in Ren, "How are you inside the game when you were still in the restaurant a while ago?"
Ren thought that Ragnar and Silvia had a date. Shouldn't date at least last the whole night?
"Ah, I guess you're curious about it." Ragnar tilted his hips and crossed his hands. His gestures were elegant and refined, which didn't match his looks and build.
"After my lunch with Silvia, I went home," Ragnar answered without care.
Ren wasn't surprised to learn there was no love between the two—most wealthy families married within their circle, treating marriage as nothing more than a business deal. Still, he couldn't help but wonder . . . how did Ragnar move on so quickly?
As if reading Ren's thoughts, Ragnar casually added, "I own multiple apartments in the city. There's one near Highland Mall."
. . . Rich people. Ren sighed inwardly, shaking his head. Ever since his return to the past, his mind had been pounding with plans—ways to change their fate, earn enough to give his parents a mansion in Zone A's most exclusive district.
But if things went according to plan, he realized with grim amusement, his future headaches wouldn't come from poverty anymore . . . but from deciding which apartment to sleep in.
The thought put a slight grin on Ren's lips.
"Anyway," Ragnar changed the topic, "Do you want to enter Gargantuan Cave?"
"Yes. Why?" Leonel asked.
For the first time, Ragnar's cold face gave way to a small smile . . . though his smile was terrifying in an Orc's body.
"I want to join you, of course."
Ren and Leonel looked at each other.
". . . Huh?"