With the goal of obtaining a rare drop item from the boss we were about to fight, Ritta invited some of her acquaintances. She said they were friends in the real world as well, and I had no problem with that.

Appa is a guy who has a taller avatar than me, and he also made his body appear bulkier, showing off his well-defined chest through his short-sleeved shirt. He is a Halberd user, a type of spear that will be the damage dealer in this party. Just look at his higher level compared to ours.

Playing the damage-support role is Nomad—I'll ignore the question of whether he hates math or not. He wields a magic rod and wears more neatly covered attire.

Then the second woman I talked to in this game is Subtle, a support and healer. She also carries a magic staff that looks like the thing used to restrain wild animals' necks, and there are tinkling bells attached to it.

That's all of them, but wait, we can't just ignore one more person. "Since yesterday I didn't know what your role is, Ritta," I said.

In response, she just smirked and struck a teasing pose. "Now, now. Can you take a guess?"

"Most likely you play as a support-tank, right?" I answered, putting my hand on my waist as if uninterested. "Your playstyle might lean towards an evade tank, with those arm shields in both of your hands."

"Ugh, I can't deny it," Ritta muttered, her face turned downward, surrendering her challenging pose.

"Well, we can get to know each other and match our playstyles once we enter the dungeon, and that's your task as the leader of this party, Blue."

"I'll try not to disappoint, but don't have sky-high expectations of me either," I said.

"Even though Ritta always speaks highly of you whenever she talks about you?"

Hearing that, Ritta jumped behind Subtle and covered the woman's mouth with both hands.

I was happy that even though we had just met for the first time, we could exchange banter and jokes without holding back. Ritta seemed to have chosen her friends wisely. We continued our banter while walking towards our intended destination.

Subtle stood at the forefront, preventing her hair from being tousled by the wind and marveling at the surrounding ocean. "Aaah, I live far from the sea, so I'm glad to be able to visit the coastal area even in a virtual world," she shared.

From the coastal area, there was a wooden pathway, a bridge, leading further into the middle of the ocean. We walked for only a few minutes, but when I looked back, the beach was no longer visible. It seemed like the developers designed it to give the impression that we had ventured far into the entrance of the dungeon.

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Bending one leg and resting my hands on top of it, I observed the rippling seawater. "Are you sure I don't need to take a quest to enter there?" I asked.

Subtle approached and sat next to me, swinging her legs. "Well, in the previous version, I heard that there were some bosses you couldn't face unless you completed specific quests. In this version as well, this boss is part of a quest, but we can challenge it anytime without taking the quest."

"Heh, you know some old-fashioned stuff, huh?"

"I heard it from someone who played this game when it was only available on mobile devices."

It's surprising to know that there are others who played in the same era as me, making me feel a unique connection. Even without hearing it from old players, the community can explore forums and find a wealth of information from the game's initial release, but very few are willing to go through the hassle of doing so. As for me, instead of reading all the updates and patches that I'm unfamiliar with, I choose to experience the game directly.

"Where is that person now?" the question slipped out of my mouth as I pondered.

Without an immediate response, I observed Subtle's face as she gazed into the distance. In a gentle motion, she raised her hand, her finger pointing forward. "In a place far away," she expressed.

Her words felt heavy and carried a profound meaning, and for whatever reason, I didn't want to pursue it further.

Emerging between the two of us was Ritta's face, gloomy at first but then glancing back and forth between our eyes. "We're here to conquer the dungeon, not for a date," she pouted and pulled me up.

"Typical Ritta, always jealous."

"I-I'm not..."

"There's nothing wrong with me playing with him for a while. Don't tell me you're claiming ownership of Blue?"

Subtle and Ritta debated something, and I distanced myself to avoid getting caught up in their friction.

"You seem to be popular, Blue."

"Hmm, well, you do give off a mature yet easy-going vibe. It's like you come across as a playboy, you know?"

I forced a faint smile upon receiving praise from these two guys I just met. "Instead of that, are you guys properly prepared? Did you remember to bring potions? I have some if you need," I offered. By "some," I meant half of my inventory slots, but I wouldn't openly say that.

"You've said it, senior. But I guess you didn't bring any type of potions other than HP and MP, right?" Ritta barked at me. "We have more than enough support for that, but if there are any interesting potion buffs, let us know."

Is it just me, or is Ritta becoming more aggressive towards me? I won't let it escape my lips, though. "That was my intention, but after getting to know your gameplay better, don't forget to give me information about this dungeon boss," I said. "But before all of that, I want to discuss something."

Everyone surrounded me as I explained the plan, well, it's all about how we're going to work as a party, though.

After so long, I'm finally going to play in a party again. I can't wait to experience something truly new in this virtual full dive world or whatever it is.

That being said, I don't intend to just dive in with them right away. I have something in mind. And that is...