*Cough, cough, cough.*

The atmosphere turned awkward in an instant.

"Go for it! Don’t chicken out!"

"That beauty’s probably waiting for you to sweep her off her feet—be bold, not shy!"

"Don’t back down! Keep going!"

"What an embarrassing twist."

Players nearby all turned their gazes, heckling loudly.

"Shut up! All of you, quiet down!"

Hey, where’d you come from, some wild Tsundere act? Too bad it wasn’t the classic triple "shut up" routine.

Normally, shouldn’t it escalate like "Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!" with rising intensity?

Kneeling, I lowered my head to the ground.

After Alicia’s sudden outburst, the players lost interest, though some still stole glances.

"Why so quiet now? Weren’t you sobbing pitifully just moments ago? Keep going."

The young lady lifted her foot, nudging my chin with her toe to force my gaze upward.

"Um..."

"Hmph. So you’re a liar too. I hate liars. Men truly are all worthless."

Don’t say that—it sounds like you’ve been scammed before. Ugh, now I’m dying to know the story. Could there be some adult anime twist?

"Um... sorry."

I apologized sincerely.

"Hmph."

Shooting me a cold glance, Alicia turned and strode out of the Adventurers’ Guild.

I chased after her. A teammate this good couldn’t be let go so easily! I also slipped the used pepper spray back into my pocket...

"Stop following me..."

"Join my guild. If I don’t recruit anyone today, I’ll really get scolded."

"Not my problem. I’m an individualist—I hate team battles. It’s just weaklings comforting themselves."

Hey, don’t act so strong. Though... her gear did look impressive.

At a glance, she had at least three green-rarity items—unattainable for most players.

"Ugh, stop trailing me!"

I followed her from the city all the way to the wilds. I’m patient by nature, and once I set my mind on something, I never quit halfway! Like Liu Bei’s three visits for his strategist.

"Hey, you don’t have a guild or fixed team yet, right? Even if you won’t join, just come feel the vibe for a bit. Please?"

Generally, pretty girls have soft hearts. Probably.

"No way! I fight alone. More people just slow me down. Plus, loot distribution is such a hassle."

She stomped hard on fallen leaves, grinding them underfoot as if I were one of them.

Sorry. I was too arrogant. I really don’t understand girls.

"Is it about loot? You can pick gear first—I don’t care. Or... are you just scared to team up and expose your trash combat skills?"

Time to try a little reverse psychology.

"Tr-trash combat skills?! Y-you... how dare you compare me to that scum! Hmph! Since you insist on seeing it, I’ll show you my strength. Don’t fall for me from shock, okay?"

Alicia arrogantly flicked her crimson hair off her shoulders.

*Clap, clap, clap.* I applauded seriously beside her, but my mind wandered elsewhere.

Why does reverse psychology work better than playing soft...? Unfathomable. Mind-boggling.

3

Ten minutes later.

Indescribable darkness swallowed the sky. Endless abyss stretched beneath our feet.

The surroundings resembled a black hole.

A gentle stream trickled nearby. Before us floated a massive golden clock, glowing softly. Only minute and second hands ticked, the sound soothing.

Our translucent souls waited for revival.

[PS: In-game death requires five minutes to revive. Penalty: 30% current EXP loss. Certain skills/items reduce revival time. Three deaths within ten minutes trigger level loss.]

"Hey, say something. This silence is awkward."

"Even if you ask..."

I was too drained to complain. She’d promised to show her strength, but got chased by a level-20 Talon Hawk. Her fleeing dragged me down—and we wiped.

"Miss, I’ve got a question."

Her fighting style felt off. I recalled her class: a mage, specifically the rare Icefire Mage.

"Since you’ve sincerely sought my wisdom, I shall graciously enlighten you."

"That line’s a bit misplaced here."

"R-really? Then I’ll switch: Since you’ve sincerely..."

If she kept this up, who knew when she’d finish.

"Sorry, my bad. Straight to the point: Why charge in close as a mage? An Icefire Mage should control monsters with ice magic from range, then nuke with fire. Why rush in and enrage it with a fire spell?"

"W-why should I tell you that? Hmph."

"Drop the tsundere act. Did you read too many novels and decide to be a melee mage or something?"

*Stare—(¬_¬)* I fixed her with that look.

"N-no! Whatever! I *am* a melee mage! Yes, my hidden class!"

"Hey, don’t suddenly act all reckless!"

She’d basically admitted it. I thought real-world weirdos were plenty—turns out games have them too.

Silence fell again between us.

"Hey... you avoid teams because of this, don’t you?"

"Shut up! None of your business."

*Thud.* Revival time. A beam of light poured into our souls, coloring our translucent forms.

Blinding white light flashed—we reappeared in the city.

"Why are you still following me?"

Alicia quickened her pace toward the city gates, scowling.

"To invite you to my team, of course."

What other reason could there be?

"Now that you know my secret, leave me alone. You’ll mock me like the rest! Go ahead and laugh! Wait... what did you just say?"

Her reaction time was painfully slow...

At the city gate, Alicia halted. She stared at me, eyes flickering with faint hope.

"What did I say? I’ll be the god of the new world."

I felt like teasing her a little.

"No, not that! And you definitely never said that!"

Huh. She *was* listening. Why not be straightforward?

"Inviting you to join my team?"

"Yes! Yes! That’s it. Hmph. Since you invited me so earnestly, I’ll graciously accept."

Alicia crossed her arms, chin lifted, radiating arrogant superiority.

"Sorry. I misspoke earlier."

"Eh... r-really?"