I leisurely strolled up to the Orc King, who was glaring at me with hatred.

"Puny... human!" the Orc King snarled, his voice deep and guttural. "Think you... can defeat... Orc King?"

"Unfortunately, I promised that to my party member. I'm just here to kill time." I shrugged. The Orc King swung his giant meat cleaver at me, but I nonchalantly side-stepped, jumping up and kicking the crown off of its head.

"Oh, sorry about that," I said with a grin. "I didn't mean to be rude."

[I'm adding bully to bum no-life masochist.]

Ignoring Sephera, I made way for Celine to rush back in, watching as she burned away the last few points of the Orc King's Health. The Orc King's cry was cut short as it was silenced by a wave of flames, falling lifeless to the ground.

[System alert: Orc King Hullado has been defeated.]

[Congratulations! Ophelia Saffron's Party has cleared the Orc Kingdom.]

[Rewards: Orc King Hullado core (x5)]

[System alert: Dungeon level has been determined too low for the user. No additional experience or rewards will be gained.]

I tutted my tongue in disappointment, though I knew there was a good chance that this would happen. I had hoped that I'd at least gain a minimal amount of experience, but it seemed like I was too optimistic. Oh well, I still got something out of it.

"I didn't level as much as I hoped," Celine murmured, a slight disappointment in her voice. "On the other hand, I now have 800 points of Risk."

"Better than nothing, right?" I grinned at her. Aurora, Ophelia, and Tessa joined us at the empty throne, though none of them were too impressed. That was understandable, they probably figured we'd struggle a bit.

"It seems as though you two have proven yourselves quite capable," Ophelia said, her gaze shifting between Celine and me. "Though this was an initiate dungeon, you have demonstrated a prowess far beyond beginner instances."

"It's a given, considering one of them is always prepared for anything while the other is too stubborn to die," Tessa added, amused. Aurora remained silent, a passive expression on her face. Although I was slightly put-off by her stoicism, I was kind of glad that she wasn't so... overbearing right now.

"Perhaps. But I think that you two aren't quite done yet."

Before I could ask what Ophelia meant, a blaring white screen popped up in front of us.

[System alert: Emergency quest added.]

[Quest: Survive or defeat the Orc King's army.]

[Time Remaining: 00:02:40]

I inwardly groaned. It wasn't that it was a dangerous quest, but it felt like it was going to be a tedious one. The throne room doors began to creak open, revealing a horde of Orcs pouring in. They must've been waiting outside for this very moment.

Not that it mattered, since my Flooded Kingdom was still active. Plus, with my level ups, I had an additional refreshed charge to use if I decided to cancel it. What a pleasant and unexpected exploitation.

"Good luck," Ophelia nodded to me and Celine, stepping back alongside Tessa and Aurora.

I sighed, turning to Celine. "Let's make this quick, I guess."

----------------------------------------

[System alert: You have completed the Emergency quest!]

[Soultaker damage: +3590]

"Jeez," I breathed a sigh of relief as I flopped down on the ground, catching my breath. Celine pressed her palms against my back, restoring my stamina. "Why workout when you can just kill endless mobs?"

"You're telling me," she agreed, gazing down at me with an even look. "I feel like I've been in a marathon."

"You definitely don't look like you did."

As we joked, a red portal cracked open near the throne, our ticket back to the real world. Celine offered me a hand, and I graciously took it, getting up and following the other three back to the training room.

The portal snapped shut as soon as we exited, leaving the five of us awkwardly standing. Finally, Ophelia cleared her throat.

"After observing both of your performances, I can declare that you are fit for Enigma. With that, your induction has been concluded. Congratulations, Luquier Vaunt and Celine Saffron."

Ophelia didn't look like she enjoyed saying her younger sister's name as she turned to Aurora.

"Er, yeah... welcome aboard," Aurora replied stiffly. She exchanged a quick glance with Ophelia before leaving first.

"Get some rest today. Tomorrow, there will be an Enigma member here in the afternoon to assign you two to a party, as well as further orienting you to the intricacies of our organization," Ophelia nodded to us. "Great work on clearing the dungeon resonance. With the core reward, you are welcome to relinquish it to the organization for reuse, sell it, or run your own dungeon resonance instance." She turned on her heel and left, leaving us alone with Tessa.

"Seems like you two exceeded their expectations," The chairman grinned at me and Celine. "But really, what's up with both of your older siblings wanting to check your performances?"

"Chronia didn't expect me to pass the dungeon resonance. That's why she was so insistent on accompanying us, since all my previous applications were personally rejected by her," Celine muttered. I gave her a side glance.

"I get that you might have some issues similar to me and my sister, but why do you refer to her by her Title?" I asked.

"Oh, you know, we just... don't really get along. It's kind of complicated. I mean, she's my sister, but..." Celine trailed off, shrugging uncomfortably.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"Fair enough," I nodded. "I know what you mean."

Tessa's eyes shifted between Celine and I, confusion evident on her face. "Wait, so you two don't get along with your siblings?" she asked. "That's surprising, considering how much they were gushing over you guys before your arrival. Avarice, I can understand, but Chronia was uncharacteristically adoring."

Celine blushed while I made a disgusted face. Seeing how we weren't willing to elaborate, Tessa shrugged.

"I'm not gonna pry. So, what are you two planning to do now?"

Celine shrugged, already composed. "Well, since I'm already in the city, I might as well check out some other things. You know, shop for more clothing or something like that. I saw a beautiful top in the window of one of the brand-name stores."

[I think you introduced her to a bad habit...]

"I could go for some food," I said nonchalantly. Tessa snickered, quickly realizing what I was implying.

"Alright then. Enjoy your shopping spree, Celine. Luquier and I will grab lunch."

----------------------------------------

Tessa watched as I stuffed my face full of food. Hey, she had chosen a really good spot, some hole-in-the-wall place where the food was amazing and the portions were huge. For someone like me, who recently became more active than he ever had in the past, being presented with a massive steak was a dream come true.

"You... eat like you've been starving yourself..." Tessa said, clearly amused. "I could barely finish my own food, and you're... just..." She shook her head, laughing.

"Hey, with everything that I've accomplished so far and the fact that you're willing to pay for my lunch, I'm not gonna just waste this opportunity to enjoy myself," I said, stuffing another bite into my mouth. "Besides, don't you want to see how much I can eat?" I joked, causing Tessa to chuckle.

"Like I said, as long as we stay on good terms, I don't mind. Think of it as me sponsoring you."

I paused my chewing. "So, I assume you'd need something from me in the future? Or a favor?"

[Can you not talk with your mouth full? .-. ]

"Will that be a problem?" Tessa gave me a mischievous grin.

"As long as you keep paying for my lunches, no," I shook my head. "You've helped me a lot already, anyway. Might as well return the favor."

"You're not curious as to what I have in store for you?" The chairman raised an eyebrow, pursing her lips together. "I could ask you to do some very illegal stuff."

"I've already got a sense of your character," I shrugged, "And you were pretty blunt in your intentions. You haven't done anything to make me wary of you, and I feel like I can trust you for now. Why waste a good relationship like this? Besides, wanting to keep me around so you can use my reputation or whatever is far from the worst thing I can think of."

Tessa laughed, the sound pleasant and genuine. "Well, I appreciate that, honestly. Is that attitude a result of someone who can't die permanently?"

[More like someone who's addicted to pain :P]

"If I'm not careful, I can very well die permanently," I casually rebutted. "But no, not really. I've been thinking that I should have some contacts in power myself."

"Oh? So you're saying you also have plans to use me?"

"That's.... that's an uncomfortable choice of words. I guess when you put it that way, yeah."

Tessa leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with interest. "Well, I don't see why not. I mean, you seem pretty useful, and you're not afraid to speak your mind. As long as you keep me entertained and we don't step on each other's toes, I don't see why we can't help each other out."

"Sounds good to me," I agreed, finishing off my steak.

The chairman sipped her wine, studying me for a moment.

"What are your plans after lunch? Don't tell me you plan to go into the tower again."

"Not to climb. I think it's time for me to find a guild." I downed my water, leaning back with a satisfied burp. "I'll head to the current global limit and just show off to whichever guild seems willing to recruit me."

Tessa raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in her eye. "Oh, I see. So you're going to show off, huh? Well, I wish you the best of luck with that. Just remember, not everyone will be as impressed with your strength as you might think. You might fare off better in the PvP arenas if you want to display your power."

"PvP arenas? We have those?" I murmured. PvP, or player versus player. I had always preferred a PvE, or player versus environment gamestyle, but maybe I should try it out. After all, I was now a living game character myself, and I couldn't help but want to test out the extent of my abilities against other Players.

"While most risk their lives in the tower and dungeons, there are plenty that can't get enough of the fight, pitting their skills against others in a safe and simulated environment. You can also make decent gold if you win enough matches," Tessa explained, watching me closely. "But, if you're not interested in that, farming on the global floor limit is still a good option to get scouted by guilds."

"Which would you say is the better method for getting scouted by the top?"

"Depends. If you're looking for a guild that focuses a lot on floor clearing and dungeon breaks, then obviously go to the tower. It's a mixed bag if you head to the PvP arenas, but for the most part, there are guilds that take note of your individual strength." Tessa clasped her hands together. "I don't know if you've noticed, but there are some guilds that have already taken an interest in you. Fable and Indomitable are two PvE oriented guilds that are part of the top ten, and have recently contacted me to see if you were interested."

"Recently contacted? How recent was this?" I leaned forward eagerly.

"Right after you helped clear the 30th floor. By the way, I'm curious on how that went. I noticed it was a party of just you and four other girls."

"I'll explain later," I waved a dismissive hand. "Tell me more about the two guilds."

"Not much to say about them," Tessa shrugged. "Fable and Indomitable are well-known for their sheer number of tower Players, both soloists and parties. Alongside them are the Merchants of Midas. While they're also oriented towards tower clearing, they have a huge role in the global economy, the richest guild in the world."

"That.. does sound very tempting."

"The MM guild has insane quotas, so if you're not able to keep up, you may end up destitute."

"Not so tempting anymore."

"Well then, there's Erase and Strongbolts, top guilds more focused on dungeon breaks," Tessa continued with a smile. "A good portion of their members tailor their playstyles to dungeon life, and are often trained to join the ranks of Enigma. While a few actually get inducted into Enigma, most are commissioned to help them out in dangerous dungeon breaks and resonances."

Hmm. That could be something I'm interested in. I was a part of Enigma now, anyway, so focusing on dungeons wouldn't be far off what I was pivoting to.

"Those two guilds might be something more suited to you now, but, if for some reason you like fighting against Players, then there's three that stand at the top: Merciless, Primal, and Heavy Boss. More often than not, you'll see many of their members competing in the PvP arenas. In fact, it's due to those three that PvP became a popular sport among Players and non-Players alike, generating a large fanbase from their rivalry."

[I think that would be perfect for you. You like getting hit and your sword loves inflicting pain. It's a win-win :D]

"Interesting," I murmured, fighting the urge to bicker with Sephera. "Wait, but that's only eight of ten guilds."

"Ah," Tessa smiled wryly. "The last two are the most difficult to get accepted into. Pretty much good at everything, Helianthus and Inanis are currently the strongest two guilds in the world. In fact, Chronia and Celine are part of Helianthus, though the younger sister was only allowed admission due to... nepotism."

Oof. Hearing Tessa say it like that explained why Celine wanted to detach herself from her sister's success. I couldn't even begin to imagine being in her shoes. Wait a minute...

"Would you happen to know what guild Aurora's in?" I asked a bit nervously.

The chairman made a face. "Well, with her strength and potential, she was immediately recruited by Inanis in the early months of their creation."

Fuck. The top two guilds that could've taken me in, and one of them my sister was a member of. It wouldn't be too much of an issue if I joined Helianthus, but I was hesitant simply because my impression of Chronia was less than superb.

I rubbed my temples, trying to process the information. Finally, I sighed and sat back in my chair.

"I know it's a lot of information, but I trust that you'll figure something out," Tessa assured me with a warm smile. "Just remember that no matter which guild you choose, I'll support you as long as our mutual relationship is kept."

"Thanks," I muttered. "I guess I know what to do next."

"And that is?"

"I'm gonna go play some games."

****

[Updating…]

[Items]

[Soultaker: 1125666]

[Orc King Hullado core (x1)]