"Isolde must be rich, huh? Do you think she had a limo?" Leonel asked Ren as they watched Isolde speak to her cousin.
Ren shrugged. "A limo doesn't suit her. Maybe a jeep or armored car."
"Cool. I always wanted an armored car."
Leonel then sized Isolde up and down. "She seemed to be a nice girl. Though a little awkward."
Ren almost choke. "It's you who is making things awkward."
Leonel ignored Ren and rested his eyes elsewhere with puckering lips.
"Excuse me. Aren't you going to enter? You're blocking the entrance."
Ren and Leonel's attention flicked at an otherworldly man with light blue hair donned in an expensive suit together with an alluring woman garbed in the finest silken dress.
Ren blinked because the woman was Silvia. Panic shot to his heart at the sight of her, but then he realized that Silvia didn't know his real appearance.
This restaurant is like a converging spot with people he knew. Ren thought, releasing the tension from his muscles. Though he didn't know who the man was together with her.
One thing was for sure, though . . . the two of them alone stole all the attention of the people in the restaurant. All eyes were on them, and Ren couldn't exactly blame them.
Even his eyes were drawn to the man's otherworldly looks and Silvia's beautiful face.
"Oh, sorry," Leonel apologized, and he and Ren made way for the two to enter the restaurant.
"Mr. Axis!" the manager personally came out and greeted the newcomers. "Miss Rutherford, this way to your table, please."
Axis? Ren skimmed his brain. They were an old powerful family that dominated the oil mining and shipping industry.
Was he the famous Ragnar Axis, the second young master whose rumored beauty caused a rift between powerful families because he chose Silvia as his soon-to-be wife? That caused the other young mistresses to be discontent.
Rich people have their problems.
Ren blinked away his boredom. Not his problem.
"Wow." Leonel whistled when Ragnar and Silvia were already meters away from them. "Look at those couple? They seemed like they aren't mortals at all."
Ren just shook his head at Leonel's exaggerated claims.
"Stop staring. It's rude," said Ren though he wasn't really reprimanding Leonel.
"I couldn't help it. It's like they're magnets, and my eyes are metal."
Ren chuckled.
Eventually, Ren, Leonel, and Isolde all left the restaurant and made it to their own house with Isolde's McLaren X4X7 Sports car, which took years off from Ren and Leonel's life of how fast Isolde was driving.
They thought that she had a chauffeur or drivers like Mike and Saya, and both their mouths dropped when she herself took the driver's seat when they reached her parked car that was customized clad in matte black.
After Ren and Leonel's soul returned to their body, they agreed to log in to the game as soon as Isolde was online.
Ren had at least thirty minutes to take a bath and change his clothes so he didn't have to log out later to do those stuff.
He wanted to play unhindered since it was time for their first dungeon attempt.
Ren was getting excited. Getting firstblood in this dungeon would yield equipment, and they really needed to upgrade their equipment ASAP.
As soon as Isolde sent a message that she was online, Ren didn't waste any more time and logged in to the game.
The three of them promised to meet up at Venezia Village in the Elves' territory since the first newbie cave was located there.
Gargantuan Cave.
It was the very first cave that could be cleared with their current ATP. It needed at least three players to clear, but Ren could probably solo it.
The only reason that he didn't was because that cave required a specific number of players to enter.
Once he entered his pod, he logged in and Ren arrived at Ironto village. It was the last spot he was in before he logged out.
After that, he pressed the save/teleportation crystal and teleported to Venezia village, the southernmost part of the Elven territory.
"Ren!" Leonel and Isolde waved their hands upon spotting him amidst the flocks of players.
"Look at all these people?" Leonel said the moment that Ren navigated his way towards them. "I was lucky that there was an empty pod in the café near my dorm. However there's only a cap of one hour play time to accommodate other players."
"It's expected as everyone already knew the game's opening," said Isolde with a half shrug. "If it weren't because there's a shortage of pods, these numbers would double by now."
Ren wasn't worried about Leonel playing only a day in the game. It was enough time to clear the dungeon.
Though in the future, Ren would convince Leonel to buy a pod once the in game currency was introduced. He had to be available at all times so he wouldn't be left out.
Because Leonel didn't have a pod in the past, he often logged in a café. But this café only have certain number of time to accommodate the influx of people playing the game.
In return, Leonel's playtime was greatly reduced and it was also one of the reason that he was left behind by the others.
"Sheesh. How do you navigate with all this crowd?" Leonel was getting dizzy from all the players going back and forth in a hurry to complete quests after quests to catch up with the others.
"Aren't you going to complete those quests again?" Ren asked Isolde since he knew that she was back to square one.
Isolde sighed, and her forehead wrinkled. "I'd rather grind than go through those errand quests again." Her eyes then went big and sparkly. "I'd rather go with you to this Gargantuan Cave!"
Leonel nodded his head in agreement.
"Very well then," said Ren. It was faster to raise her ATP in the cave than do errand quests anyway, and the items rewards were mostly basic items she could just buy in the shops.
The three of them then set out south from the village, with Ren leading the front.
"Is there something we should need first to attempt this cave?" Isolde asked, traumatized by her failed attempt at Thunder Cave.
Ren shook his head. "No. This is a newbie cave that can be cleared with three players."
"But my ATP isn't in the two digits yet since I recreated my account." Isolde was worried about this that she would be the source of defeat in their group.
However, Ren wasn't worried the least. He alone could solo this newbie cave.
"No worries, Ren and I have already reached two digits." Leonel winked and flexed his nonexistent muscles. "I'll take care of the enemies in the front and protect you guys while you destroy all the enemies from the back lines."
Isolde nodded while Ren was surprised that Isolde wasn't the least bit concerned about Leonel's appearance.
She had to be criticizing his beard in her head. Ren mused to himself, and the corner of his lips rose in a slight grin.
The truth was further, though. Isolde didn't find Leonel's Dwarven appearance and faked beard strange at all. She mostly grew up surrounded by men with all sorts of beards on their faces.
Her father was sporting a spiky beard that he carefully trimmed and gelled each day.
In fact, her father spent more time taking care of his beard than actually managing their casinos. He left it to his right-hand man and the many professionals and experts in their company.
Ren, Leonel, and Isolde chattered as they walked toward their destination. But upon reaching the fork heading to Gargantuan Cave, Isolde and Leonel's attention was stolen by players storming the other way.
"What's going on?" Leonel asked.
There where influx of players going into the southern fork of the forest leading to another place in the mountain range.
Ren already knew what was on the other side, so he wasn't really interested nor curious like the other players.
It was the disadvantage of having to live twice. The element of surprise was gone.
However, before he could open his mouth, Isolde and Leonel were already hyped and followed the crowds.
"Let's check it out," Isolde said in glee but was already following the other players.
"Yes. Lets. There might be a hidden boss there or treasures!" Leonel exclaimed in excitement and jogged beside Isolde.
Ren sighed as he watched Leonel and Isolde got hyped with the masses, skipping their steps with flowers blooming all around them, completed with rays of sparkles.
It's like there was two Leonel in the group.
