March 19, 2023. 11:16 AM — Mirewood Forward Outpost, Floor 25

  The party was making their final preparations before heading out to explore. The beta guide officially ended at Floor 20, and from that point on they had been advancing almost blind, relying only on fragments Asuna shared after consulting the testers who remembered the game best.

  Without intending to, she had become one of the pillars of the frontline group: her mastery of the rapier, her impossible speed, and a beauty that rivaled even Miwa's—though HappyGoose insisted proudly that "his red-haired princess" won by a landslide. The nickname Swift Flash was already circulating among players.

  After the defeat of the Floor 24 boss, Asuna had warned that Floor 25 represented a much steeper difficulty spike than usual. Not everyone took the warning seriously: several parties rushed straight into the hunting zones in search of rewards... and paid the price.

  For the first time since the beginning of the confinement, an entire frontline party died while exploring.

  Miwa was trying to negotiate prices with an NPC merchant using every weapon in her charm arsenal, closely followed by HappyGoose. Veget had returned to Floor 22 to reinforce his gear. Ryuho patrolled the area, searching for reliable players to reduce risks.

  Yuiha, however, stood still in front of the outpost gate, as if trying to see beyond the forest. Silver had been beside her in silence for quite some time, until he finally leaned down, took her hand, and stood up.

  She reacted in surprise, turning toward him. Silver tilted his head, inviting her to come along.

  He led her to a quiet corner of the camp and looked her straight in the eyes.

  —What's wrong? —he asked.

  —Nothing —she replied automatically.

  Silver shook his head gently.

  —It can't be "nothing." Since Floor 16, you haven't been yourself. You don't have the same energy.

  Yuiha took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She knew that, for all the things Silver could be clueless about, he had learned to read her far too well.

  —My beta knowledge only went up to Floor 15 —she finally admitted—. After that... even knowing very little, I could still help. But now... I can't do anything. I feel useless.

  Silver took half a step closer.

  —Yuiha... you can't take responsibility for the lives of the eight thousand players still left. Sasha told you that. Lizbeth told you that. And I told you that.

  She lowered her gaze, but didn't interrupt him.

  —Do you remember what happened yesterday, after the raid? —he continued—. Asuna warned everyone that this floor was dangerous, and even so six idiots—

  —Silver... —she cut him off sharply.

  —Sorry. Six "brave adventurers" —he said, making air quotes— decided to ignore the warning. And they died.

  Yuiha tried to keep a frown, but a soft snort of laughter escaped her despite herself.

  —You're terrible —she murmured.

  Silver smiled when he saw her laugh.

  —Everyone here is responsible for their own life. And still, you keep taking care of everyone else. If it weren't for you, Ryuho would be out of commission because of that fruit on Floor 14. He was lucky you knew the herb that neutralized the poison.

  Yuiha's laughter finally broke the tension completely. She remembered Ryuho doubled over in pain, and the comment she had made—perhaps a little irresponsible—about "simulating food poisoning for realism."

  Without another word, Yuiha hugged him. Silver hesitated for a second, then wrapped his arms around her as well.

  —Thank you for staying by my side —she said, glancing up at him, waiting for his response.

  —Don't thank me —he replied with that crooked smile of his, already his trademark—. I'm with you because I want to be... not because I owe you my life.

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  Yuiha let out a laugh that turned into a deep sigh, one that carried days of accumulated stress with it. Tears welled in her eyes as she held on to him a little tighter. Silver, trembling but brave, dared to stroke her hair to calm her.

  March 19, 2023. 5:53 PM — Mirewood Forward Outpost, Floor 25

  Veget had already returned with his shield upgraded to the maximum and a new sword. Miwa had secured a generous supply of potions and antidotes thanks to a "very generous donation" from HappyGoose.

  Suddenly, they saw Ryuho walking back, accompanied by a group of six samurai. All of them carried katanas like him, and Ryuho wore a smile none of them had ever seen before.

  —Guys, let me introduce the FuuRinKaZan guild. All of them are high-level players, wielders of the finest weapon and the pride of our nation —Ryuho said, with an unusual amount of pride even for him.

  The player who seemed to be their leader—a lanky guy with a scruffy beard, spiky brown hair tied with a bandana, red armor and a katana at his waist—stepped forward with almost theatrical confidence.

  —Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen! We're from the FuuRinKaZan guild. We're all expert katana users. My name is—

  At that moment, his eyes met Miwa's.

  They couldn't pull away: wavy red hair, deep blue eyes, angelic beauty, flawless figure. A vision.

  And Klein's brain simply... shut down.

  —My name... my na— I... uh...

  Behind him, Dale looked up at the sky in resignation.

  Issin shook his head, smiling like someone watching an old friend repeat the same mistake.

  Dynamm muttered something that sounded like "not again..."

  When Klein's internal system finally rebooted, he crossed the distance between himself and Miwa and bowed deeply—almost theatrically. Then he started speaking as if each sentence were bursting out under pressure.

  —My name is Klein! I'm 24 years old! I'm single and looking for a girlfriend!

  The silence that followed was legendary.

  Ryuho watched without saying a word. He didn't look angry.

  HappyGoose opened his mouth, unable to produce a sound.

  Silver barely managed to laugh before receiving an elbow from Yuiha, who was also struggling not to burst out laughing.

  Even Veget raised an eyebrow.

  And Miwa...

  Miwa looked at him with a complex expression, a mix of surprise and amusement, while Klein stared at the ground, waiting for the blow, the insult, or the mockery.

  But what came instead was a bright, clean, contagious laugh.

  Miwa wiped a tear of laughter, casually placed a hand on the samurai's shoulder, and replied in her most charming voice:

  —You're very funny, Klein. My name is Miwa. It's a pleasure to meet you.

  Klein straightened slowly, as if afraid the moment might vanish. His eyes couldn't hide his shock: it was the first time his "honest introduction" hadn't ended in violence or rejection. And the girl... had smiled. And touched him.

  —I'm... dreaming, right? —he asked, looking back at his guild, who were applauding, cheering, crying, and celebrating as if he had just soloed a floor boss.

  Laughter spread throughout the camp.

  Everyone laughed.

  Except one person.

  HappyGoose walked away in silence, kicking a stone. He couldn't believe it. After everything he had tried to build with respect, patience, admiration... someone as shameless as Klein showed up, and Miwa not only didn't reject him—she laughed.

  A familiar dark thought pierced him.

  "Even that guy is more attractive than me. More suitable for her."

  * * * * *

  Veget, Ryuho, Klein, and Dale were gathered around one of the campaign tables, analyzing partial map data shared by returning scouts.

  Dale pointed at a section of the hologram.

  —The northern area has high hills beyond Gloomroot Grove. We found nomadic vendors there selling masks with resistance to the floor's toxic mist. It's far more efficient than burning through potions and antidotes.

  Veget nodded with his usual seriousness.

  —Once we have the masks, we can proceed south. So far, only the Flooded Catacombs have been discovered. We'll need to coordinate with other groups to cover the unexplored areas.

  The four agreed. Klein spoke next, crossing his arms with strategic flair.

  —There's no point in all of us going. A large group would just get in the way in the forest.

  —That makes sense —Veget acknowledged—. Are you suggesting a mixed team?

  —No —Klein smiled with excessive confidence—. I suggest you let us handle it. That way I can prove to Miwa-sa— to all of you, that we're reliable.

  He struck his chest with his fist, like making an oath. Dale looked at him silently, not saying out loud what everyone knew he was thinking.

  Veget considered for a few seconds before speaking.

  —You have one open slot in your party. You could include one of us. The goal is for at least one person to reach the caravan, so Miwa or Yuiha would be the best choices.

  —Yuiha is the best option —Ryuho replied without hesitation—. She's faster, has the best enemy detection among all of us... and most importantly, when she joined, she adapted immediately.

  Veget studied him for a moment. He knew perfectly well that Ryuho's real motive had nothing to do with efficiency or detection. But the analysis was sound.

  —Alright. Let's talk to her —he decided.

  —Silver won't agree —Ryuho warned.

  Veget didn't even blink.

  —I don't care what Silver thinks —he replied with calm firmness—. I care what she thinks.