"I want to join you, of course."
Ren and Leonel looked at each other.
". . . Huh?"
What was wrong with rich people these days? Ren wondered. Didn't they have friends to play with instead of crashing into random parties?
"Don't you have friends you'd rather play with?" Leonel asked aloud, voicing exactly what Ren was thinking. Ren could only sigh and glance sideways at him.
"No," Ragnar replied flatly, lifting his chin with a touch of pride. "I prefer playing alone. But since Gargantuan Cave can't be entered solo—and we happen to share a mutual acquaintance—I figured it's only proper to join your group."
Ren blinked, trying to make sense of that logic. It didn't make much sense . . . but in the end, he supposed the more, the merrier.
And having an Orc in the group would increase their firepower.
"I'm okay with it, but it's up to Ren and Leonel. I'm just tagging along," Isolde said with a serious expression.
"I'm cool. I'll leave the decision to Ren." Leonel didn't mind another stranger in their group. Rather, he liked that he got to know new people.
On the other hand, Ren was just curious why Ragnar chose to be an Orc. He wasn't against the idea at all that Ragnar was joining them.
"It's fine by me. The more, the better." I guess. Ren mused to himself.
Isolde's tight face loosened.
Leonel jabbed an okay sign.
And Ragnar's stoic face remained impassive even after joining Ren's group. It felt like he didn't know how to smile.
His resting, no care face was worse than Ren's. Leonel thought with a snicker as he eyed Ren and Ragnar.
"I'm Ren, by the way."
"Leonel's the name."
"Ragnar," he said and then pointed at the cave without wasting any more time. "Do you have any idea how we can enter the cave, though?"
"It's fine," said Ren.
"What do you mean fine?" Ragnar questioned.
Ren pointed toward the other players. "Sooner or later, these players will have enough, and riot would ensue. Let's use that chance to enter by then."
"So all we have to do is wait?" asked Isolde.
Ren nodded. "This place attracted a lot of players, and soon another group would emerge and challenge those guys' tyranny."
"But . . . they might get first blood." Leonel bit his thumb, looking worried at the cave.
"Don't worry. Bosses in caves and dungeons couldn't be defeated easily," reassured Ren.
"You seem to be confident with your words." Ragnar faced Ren. "Are you a beta tester?"
"Is that important?" Ren didn't want to be hostile with Ragnar. He might be a customer in the future, after all.
Ragnar shook his head. "No."
Isolde smiled and asked Ragnar, "I'm curious, though. Why did you choose an Orc out of all the races?"
"Yeah," seconded Leonel. "Didn't you regret it that you've ruined your pretty face?"
". . ."
Ragnar didn't answer.
A heavy silence settled over the group until Ragnar drew in a slow breath. His expression hardened, and when Ren and the others turned to him with curious eyes, he spoke with a rare seriousness.
"The only reason I joined this game," he began, his tone low and steady, "was because of this race. I wanted to look hideous—to escape the hell I live in outside."
His words carried a quiet weight as he went on. "In this form, I don't have to deal with threats or blackmail. No one floods me with gifts or love letters. No stalkers shadowing me everywhere I go. I can finally sleep and shower in peace. I can eat and drink without wondering if someone slipped me an aphrodisiac—or worse, a love potion."
"Being ugly is what I longed for," Ragnar declared with a resolute tone, his expression firm. "Becoming an Orc let me live a life where no one chases, mobs, or grope me. For once, I'm free. This—this is the life I've been dreaming of!"
Ren could only stare, speechless.
Isolde's mouth hung open in disbelief.
Meanwhile, Leonel nodded in perfect understanding and patted Ragnar's shoulder. "I get you, man. Same here. I picked a dwarf because, in real life, I'm a giant."
Ren rubbed his temple, feeling a headache coming on. He never thought he'd live to see the day when being too good-looking was a genuine life problem. Pretty boys, it seemed, had their own kind of suffering.
"Who gave you the right to barricade this place?!"
Their attention snapped toward a booming voice that echoed through the area like the toll of a gong. From several meters away, a new group emerged from the shadows.
At their head strode a player of the Beast class—a towering figure with tiger ears, a swaying striped tail, and a muscular, fur-covered body. His broad chest and clawed hands radiated raw power as he led a squad of ten players confidently behind him.
Ren recognized him instantly. Tor—the guild leader of Roaring Tigers and the sworn rival of Poison Viper.
While Poison Viper was infamous for its underhanded tactics and ruthless behavior, Roaring Tigers had earned their name through bold deeds and acts of valor. Neither guild ranked among the top ten, but both were formidable forces in their own right—and their rivalry was the stuff of legend.
Was this the start of the enmity between guilds? Ren wondered.
"Yeah, you seriously think that this is your territory?"
"Everyone, let's trash them!"
As Ren had predicted, the already tense standoff spiraled out of control the moment a stronger force appeared—newbies instinctively rallying behind them for protection.
Even though no one could actually kill or injure the other players outside of a PvP, it didn't stop them from shoving, jostling, and muscling their way toward the cave's entrance.
With a unified roar, the members of Roaring Tigers drew their weapons and surged forward, the mass of newbies following in a wave of chaotic enthusiasm.
Caught off guard, Poison Viper couldn't afford to stand idle. At Vein's sharp command, his guild members responded in kind, charging headlong to meet their rivals.
Within seconds, the once orderly clearing exploded into pure chaos—steel clashing, spells flashing, and shouts filling the air as both sides fought for control of the path to the cave.
"This is our chance," Ren said and commanded Leonel, "use your skill [Dash and Slash].
"Alright! Everyone, stay close behind me," Leonel announced, puffing out his chest with confidence. "I'll use my overpowered strength and awesome defense to smash our way through!"
"Just do it," Ren replied flatly, his tone as lifeless as his eyes.
"Yaaaargh!" Leonel bellowed, unleashing a dramatic battle cry as he charged ahead. The massive wooden shield he carried—practically as tall as he was—flared with golden light as he activated his skill, [Dash and Slash].
In a burst of momentum, Leonel sprinted forward five meters, plowing through the crowd like a living battering ram. Players stumbled and tumbled aside, clearing a wide path for Ren and the others to follow.
When a group of newbies tried to block their way, Leonel swung his hammer with a mighty arc. Everyone foolish enough to stand in his path was sent flying, landing hard as the system registered a [Stun – 5 seconds] debuff.
Leonel's ATP was already far beyond that of the average player who'd just started a few hours ago. Against him, the others didn't stand a chance.
And while no one actually lost HP—since it wasn't a PvP —the battlefield was still pure mayhem. Players were hurled aside, knocked flat, and left reeling from a mess of status effects. It looked less like a fight and more like a storm of bodies with Leonel at its epicenter.
"Good. Keep doing it until we reach the entrance to the cave!" Ren said, and Leonel followed with ears perking up from Ren's compliment.
"Remember, don't touch the save crystal!" Ren warned as they neared the entrance of the cave.
"Stop them!" shouted Vein when he noticed a large chunk of his guild members were tossed in the air by Leonel's skill.
"T-they're too strong!" another member of the Poison Viper shouted with tears in his eyes.
Leonel led the charge, his shield glowing with unstoppable momentum as his skill carried him forward like a wrecking ball. Behind him, Ragnar guarded Ren and Isolde's flank, his massive axe cleaving through anyone reckless enough to get too close.
Ren and Isolde held the center line, timing their support skills and spells perfectly to keep the formation strong and steady.
From afar, Vein clicked his tongue in irritation. It was obvious now—Ren's group wasn't made up of ordinary players. They were early entrants, the kind who'd already gained a massive advantage from being among the first to dive into the game. Otherwise, there was no way they could have cut through the flood of newbies so easily.
"Useless bunch of morons!" Vein snarled, veins bulging on his temple. "Do I have to do everything myself?!"
He lunged forward, ready to intercept Ren's team—only for a massive figure to step in his way.
A towering half-beast with tiger ears and a tail blocked his path, eyes gleaming with challenge.
"And where do you think you're going?" Tor growled, his claws flexing as the air between them crackled with tension.
"Move bitch!" Vein spat.
Tor just smirked. "Make me."
While Vein was locked in a clash with Tor, no one was left to stop Ren and his group from advancing. The remaining newbies guarding the entrance scattered at the mere sight of them, unwilling to risk being launched aside by Leonel's rampaging shield.
With the chaos still raging outside, Ren and the others slipped into the cave unchallenged.
They didn't stop to rest—not yet. Their footsteps echoed through the dim tunnel as they sprinted deeper inside, weaving past jagged rocks and glowing moss, heading straight for their goal: the Boss's chamber.