I checked Celine's stats. They leveled up a bit, probably due to her side quests. None of them were close to 200,000, though.

"I've just been grinding in dungeon resonances," I began, keeping my other escapades to myself for the moment. "You know, the usual."

"The usual? This is the first time I've heard of you grinding in the dungeon resonances. You've been doing that already? Without meeting our assigned party?" Celine accused, looking a bit betrayed. Oops.

"Well, I had some extra time," I said, trying to brush it off. "And, you know, I wanted to test out some things."

Celine looked at me skeptically, but let it slide. "Okay, fine. But you can't expect me to be thrilled about it," she frowned, glancing back at the menu. "You're going to continue to outshine me."

"S-sorry," I apologized sheepishly. Then, I had an idea. "Hey, I'm going to be running a dungeon resonance later. Wanna come?"

Celine's eyes widened slightly. "Seriously?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "There's something I want to test out, anyway."

As Celine took a moment to think about my offer, I was busy thinking about the potential of my new pendant. As it stood, Celine was nowhere near the strength level I thought she needed to be in order to prepare for the 50th floor.

But if I could give her some of my Stat Points, she might be able to catch up. The question was, would she even accept it? And more importantly, would it be a good idea? I didn't see any problems with it, besides the fact that it would hinder my own progress towards Ascension, but my Risk stats were ridiculously high enough that I felt I shouldn't be worried.

Finally, Celine nodded slowly. "Okay, let's do it," she said, the excitement in her voice unmistakable despite her neutral expression.

"Great," I smiled, taking a deep breath. "But first, I need to check something. Excuse me for a moment, I need to use the restroom."

The overwhelming presence I had felt earlier was growing stronger. It seemed as though Celine hadn't picked up on it, making me wonder if it was only making itself known to me. Before I left, I told Celine what I wanted to order, opting for the cheapest item on the menu. Of course, it wasn't that I was tight on money, I just didn't feel the need to spend it so extravagantly yet.

Along the way towards the bathroom, I could feel the presence following me. While I wasn't completely sure it wasn't hostile, it still didn't feel great to have something watching me that closely. I had to admit, I was a bit nervous.

Entering the waiting hall before the bathroom, I stopped before the door and immediately whirled around.

"Look, whoever you are, I don't know what you want, but I've got enough on my plate," I whispered into the air, hoping it wasn't just my imagination playing tricks on me.

For a moment, I thought I was going to be met with silence. But then, the air around me grew denser, and the lights flickered erratically. The buzz of conversation from the restaurant's patrons dimmed to a murmur.

"I assure you, young one, I mean no harm," a velvety voice resonated through the hallway, sending a shiver down my spine. It was unlike any I had heard before, a blend of ancient wisdom and a hint of amusement.

[!!! Careful, Luquier...] Sephera's message warned me. I took a deep breath, ready to pull my Soultaker out in case I needed it.

As the lights returned to normal, a figure materialized in front of me.

The presence took the form of an elegant, dark-skinned woman with piercing gold eyes. Her hair was a waterfall of pure black, adorned with shimmering blue crystals that matched the flaming torches from the hallway where I first awoke in Last Stand. She wore a gown that was a blend of shadow and light, swirling around her as if made of liquid. Her beauty was breathtaking, but there was an undeniable aura of power that emanated from her.

[Name: Izu Shen | Level: 6347]

[Title: Abyss Walker (SS)]

[Health: 1.03+ | Strength: 1.01+]

[Speed: 909,567,450 | Magic: 1.3+]

[Risk: 15,000,000]

"Um, hi," I stupidly greeted the Abyss Walker, not knowing what else to say. Izu simply stared at me, a smile playing on her full lips.

"You've caught my eye, Luquier Vaunt," Izu said, her gaze piercing through me as if she could see my soul. "Besides my peers and I, never have I encountered someone with such high Risk stats."

I wanted to say that it was because I made some dumb decisions and was now soft-locked into basically growing exponentially every few instances or so, but I didn't think that was appropriate. Instead, I settled for a simple, "Thanks."

Izu chuckled, a sound that was surprisingly warm and inviting despite the tension. "No need to be shy. I'm not here to fight. I've just come to see the man who's been making news in person. Imagine my surprise when you just waltz into my restaurant."

"Your restaurant?" I blinked, realizing the implications. "Oh. Abyss Walker, the Abyssal Bistro. Makes sense."

"Indeed. It's a little venture I've decided to embark on," she said, gesturing to the cozy interior. "But enough about me. What brings you here tonight?"

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

[He's on a date :3]

"I'm on a- I was interested in trying out this place," I caught myself, almost going along with Sephera's message.

"Ah, I see," she nodded, her smile not faltering. "Well, I hope you're enjoying it. It's a bit different from the usual dining experiences, I'd imagine."

"Yeah..." I hesitated. "It gives off the same vibes as the towers of Last Stand."

Izu's smile grew wider. "You're quite perceptive. This place is indeed an homage to the game that brought us all here. Tell me, Luquier, what do you think of this new reality we've found ourselves in?"

I shifted uncomfortably, unsure of how much to reveal to this woman who was clearly not just an ordinary player. Honestly, I wasn’t really sure why she was interested in talking to me. "It's... intense," I admitted. "But I've been trying to make the most of it."

Izu's gaze was piercing, as if she could see through the fabric of reality and into my soul. "Most of us are," she said, her voice filled with a knowingness that sent a shiver down my spine. "But not everyone is as... prepared as you are."

[Prepared? This guy? Have you even met him?] Sephera's message sparked an irritation within me. Okay, sure, I know I wasn't the best at pre-planning, but at least I knew how to twist around a situation to my favor.

"W-well, I just try my best," I stuttered, feeling a bit exposed under her scrutiny. "Just wanna make sure me and whoever's partying up with me survive, you know?"

Izu smiled faintly, amused. "No, Luquier, that's not what I meant. To clarify, I meant that not everyone is as prepared to die as you are."

The words hit me like a sledgehammer. The way she said 'die' was too... casual. Like it was something to be expected. Had I become known as the suicidal Player?

"I-I don't go looking for death," I protested, trying to keep my voice steady. "I just... push my limits, that's all."

Izu hummed as she tapped her chin. "Have you joined a guild yet?"

"Er, not yet," I hesitantly answered. "I'm going to be joining Inanis, though."

Izu nodded thoughtfully. "Ah, a guild that formed from the top players of the game. I can see why you'd want to be part of it. However, I'm curious," she leaned in closer, her eyes glinting with interest, "what would you think of joining an unofficial top guild instead?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Are you saying you're part of a guild that can rival Helianthus and Inanis?"

"In terms of power, we might not be as unified or as numerous," Izu admitted, a hint of amusement in her voice. "We’re not even that well-known, thanks to our guildmaster. But we're certainly more... unique."

She paused, as if allowing me to digest the information before continuing. "Our guild is called 'Noble', and we operate under a different set of rules. We believe in the potential of every player and aim to help them reach their maximum capacity, no matter how... unorthodox their methods might be."

The way she said 'unorthodox' had me leaning in, intrigued. "What do you mean by that?"

The Abyss Walker smiled. "Do you know who Nephilim is?"

I twitched, recalling the name that Seth and Ophelia had mentioned when they were fighting between themselves over which guild would get me. "Only by name. Are they your guildmaster?"

"Yes, he is," Izu confirmed with a knowing smile. "Nephilim is quite the enigma, even among the Players. His approach to the game is not… normal, to say the least."

She shrugged, clasping her hands. "At any rate, you've been a hot topic among the top Players. Even Nephilim heard of you when you cleared the Village of the Wicked dungeon with ease. As for me, I was curious about what you were like, and I must say, I think you'd be a better fit in our guild rather than the other two mainstream ones."

Before I could say anything, Izu turned around with a wave. "Just think about it. If you change your mind, you know where to find me now. Enjoy your meal, Luquier Vaunt."

The lights flickered again and Izu seemingly vanished, leaving me alone in the bathroom hall. "Well, that was odd," I murmured to myself, heading back to the table. It did make me feel a bit prideful, knowing that my name and reputation had started to spread to the higher echelon of Players. Just… I didn’t completely enjoy the fact that it wasn’t a very heroic reputation.

"Everything okay?" Celine's eyes searched mine as I sat down. I guess she picked up on the tension that had built in the brief encounter with Izu.

"Yeah, just... ran into the owner of the restaurant. I'm also pretty nervous about how we're gonna tackle this dungeon resonance together," I lied, taking a sip of water to wet my dry mouth. No way was I going to tell her the very powerful owner of this restaurant had personally approached me to offer an invitation to her guild, sensing how touchy that subject was for her.

Celine nodded, her eyes not leaving me for a moment. "Okay," she said slowly, clearly not buying it. "So, let's get back to it. What's the plan?"

As our food arrived, I went over the details of our itinerary for the Grudge dungeon, which was basically similar to what I did with Tessa. Despite the strange and unexpected encounter with Izu, I needed to keep my focus on the task at hand. Celine listened intently, nodding along and asking the occasional question. I could tell she was eager to improve.

Celine didn't question me dying over and over to farm my achievement, which either meant she was used to my insane plans or she had more trust in me than I realized. After we had our fill, I couldn't ignore the itch to test out my new 'Grace' trait.

Sure, it'd mean giving up precious Stat Points, but I had already come up with a few plans to infinitely farm them. This was just an experiment to see if I could also bring other Players up to my leveling speed. Especially since the world was on floor 35.

We finished our meal quickly, and I lamented not being able to savor the food. It was just that I was too damn excited to get back to growing stronger, which probably didn't help my reputation of living in the tower floors and dungeons, to quote Celine.

The waiter brought our check, but to my surprise, I saw that it had been paid for. In fact, there was a message written on the tab: "Your meal is on the house. -Izu Shen."

Celine's eyes widened. "What did you do to get a free meal?" she whispered.

"Nothing that would paint me as a bad guy," I hurriedly reassured Celine, sliding the tab back to the waiter. "Let's just say she appreciates a good player."

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

After a moment's flight to the GPA building, Celine and I rented out an empty simulation room.

Once again, she wasn't really dressed for dungeon runs, though she did opt for ease of movement. She wore a pair of black joggers and scarlet top, which was comfortable, but didn't provide much defense.

I guess Celine noticed my doubtful gaze because she casually pulled out some accessory gear from her Inventory.

"Don't worry, I've got my essentials," she said with a small smile, revealing a set of crimson arm guards and a silver necklace with a small crystal at the center. "These give me a decent enough boost to handle a few hits."

"If you say so," I shrugged, tossing my Realmwalker over my shoulders while adjusting my ring and pendant. I took out the Grudge core from my Inventory and injected 1 million points to convert it. I had already used a majority of my Stat Points, with the main bulk going into Risk and Health. I was hoping that by the end of the dungeon, I'd amass enough points to reach Ascension level 1 and start juicing up other people.

I took a deep breath and opened the portal to the dungeon resonance, nodding to Celine. As we stepped through, I desperately hoped that nothing like what had happened in the Village dungeon would catch us by surprise.

****

[Updating…]

[Name: Luquier Vaunt]

[Health: 175,750,000 | Strength: 107,300,000]

[Speed: 106,250,000 | Magic: 106,100,000]

[Risk: 72,000,000 | Stat Points: 10,704,355]