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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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After the classic game was updated, it seemed the number of so-called “noobs”—those playing the game normally—had greatly increased.
It had been posted on the netspace, and update logs had been posted as in-game announcements as well.
Many people probably realized for the first time, “This game… it actually has real game-like features.”
The wave of new players naturally extended the game’s lifespan. They were like light and salt to a stagnant game.
You can’t purify already rotten water.
But if you keep pouring clean water into it, the water eventually becomes clear.
Of course, while I’ve been playing this game,
Julia and I were the only ones I’d ever seen reach max level.
Anyway, that was the situation.
The people who had been camped out in front of the town notice board started heading to the hunting grounds.
The hunting grounds, once desolate and filled only with monsters, gained a semblance of life.
Naturally, all of these developments could be described as extremely positive.
However, just as a stronger light casts a deeper shadow,
There were a few people who struggled to accept this reality.
[ Eve (Mage) ]
Eve’s character, displayed on my screen, used a skill.
As expected of a damage-dealing class.
The tremendous firepower was noticeable.
A wide-range attack skill melted several monsters simultaneously.
Had Eve, who had been suggesting going out, also discovered the joy of the game?
Thanks to hunting with me until the end of the month, she was already close to max level.
At this rate, we’d be able to raid together soon.
Although I wondered why she wasn’t giving me warrior buffs.
And, there were four characters watching Eve’s character. The particularly ugly steel helmets they were wearing caught my eye.
[ P2034871140(Warrior): Hunting multiple monsters… alone? ]
[ P77648(Warrior): Takes less than… 10 seconds to kill one? ]
[ SellingInfo7(Warrior): …This game has separate attack skills? Why doesn’t the warrior… ]
[ IiiIiiIilIlill1l(Warrior): (Inappropriate Language) ]
…….
Were they doing something else?
I’d been relieved that they hadn’t been seen in the game for a while.
The warrior bros, whom I encountered after a long time, had all realized the truth and were in despair.
They had faced the truth inside Pandora’s Box.
…Cheer up, though.
Warriors.
Now that party play content like raids has been released, there will definitely be sections where the warrior’s role becomes important.
If you can just survive until then, you will surely see the light.
[ P2034871140(Warrior): Guild Master… What in the world is going on? ]
Warrior Bro No. 2, the first one I recommended the warrior class to, typed in the chat.
Hmm.
As Warrior Bro No. 1 and the Guild Master of the Masters of the Warrior Union, I couldn’t ignore that chat.
I typed.
[ RealMageHere(Warrior): Fighting, everyone! I have something to do, so I’ll be going now. ]
And I logged out of the game.
“…….”
[…….]
Absolutely not.
I didn’t run away because I had no excuses.
Nor did I leave because I had lied about the warrior class being good.
The warrior wasn’t bad.
It was still the undisputed tier 1 class in my heart.
It was just that, at that very moment,
coincidentally, I received a message and had something to do, so I left.
Sender: ‘Monolith, Taylor Blackstar’
Time’s up, so I’ll send a car your way.
The invitation will be in the car, so please check it.
It’s a bit early, but it’s better to be there in advance.
I’ll assign someone to accompany you, so don’t worry.
( ˘╰╯˘) ≡ (˘╰╯˘ )
That’s right.
It was time to go to the high-ranking party being held in the upper level, the Platinum District.
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I sat in the unmanned aerial vehicle, looking at the scenery outside the window.
It landed directly on the road near my house, drawing the attention of the people around,
but I couldn’t not take the car.
But I thought there were hefty fines for parking outside designated areas.
Well, it’s a Monolith vehicle; they’ll handle it.
Outside the window, the futuristic cityscape flashed by.
A giant hologram character was visible close to the vehicle.
In the distance, I could see the lower level’s factory district and the smoke rising from Cloud Park; closer by were the high-rise buildings of the middle level and the neon signs adorning their outer walls.
As the vehicle climbed higher and higher,
my nervous anticipation grew.
It wasn’t that I had acrophobia.
The party I was going to was the reason.
I would soon be face-to-face with the company’s executives, and I kept swallowing nervously because of it.
Not the lower or middle levels.
I hadn’t been to the upper level many times.
To begin with, the upper level had a completely different feel from other areas.
Not only was access to all upper level areas, except Royal Vegas, strictly restricted, but if my aerial vehicle didn’t have the proper registration code, I imagined a police drone would have greeted me long ago.
…I’m thirsty.
Is there anything to drink?
I shifted my gaze from the window.
I saw the interior of the vehicle, neatly finished with luxurious seats.
There was an empty wine glass, but no actual beverage to drink.
I tried to lift the glass, but it wouldn’t budge. It was fixed to the holder.
“Hmm…”
[I suggest you try pressing down on the glass itself.]
“Really?”
As Eve suggested, I pressed down on the glass.
Then, a drink slowly began to fill the glass from below.
Once it was full, I could finally lift the now-released glass.
I took a small sip.
A sweet fruity aroma filled my senses.
This is why people need to make money, I thought.
So they can ride in aerial vehicles and drink as much as they want, whether it’s alcohol or juice.
Although right now, it wasn’t my money,
and it wasn’t my car.
I felt a little less tense.
Since I was traveling in the air, there were no traffic jams. I figured I’d arrive shortly.
Also, North Houston, where I lived, was close to the upper level, my destination.
I sipped my drink while admiring the hologram billboards that had come into close proximity to the vehicle.
I placed the empty glass back in its holder.
I also checked my clothes for any lint or loose threads.
I was wearing the same outfit I had worn when I met the chairman.
The expensive suit Catherine had bought for me before Andrea’s concert.
Seems alright.
[This is the first time in the actual upper level, I observe.]
“Was it?”
At Eve’s question, I thought carefully.
I had obtained Eve at the end of the main scenario, inside a corporate building in the middle level, and since the main scenario ended, I hadn’t done much mercenary work.
Eve was probably right.
“The upper level is just another place where people live, it won’t be that different.”
The only difference was…
That the residents were basically corporate executives or celebrities like Andrea.
And things like electricity and water bills, basic city taxes, were free.
Also, the security was extremely good.
Just then, a mechanical voice came from the vehicle.
《You have arrived at your destination.》
I looked out the window and saw that the vehicle was slowly descending.
It seemed I had arrived while lost in thought.
I picked up the invitation that had been placed on the side of the seat.
A paper invitation, a rare sight these days.
The contents were nothing special.
As Monolith had arranged, it stated that I was an employee of Black Monolith Inc.
Me, a freelance mercenary, now an employee of a megacorp… it made my chest swell with pride.
There was also a note saying to be careful not to tear it, as it could cause problems with the entry process.
I carefully tucked the invitation into my pocket,
making sure not to wrinkle it.
“Well… shall we go then?”
[I anticipate it.]
I opened the door of the aerial vehicle, which had landed.
Warmly pleasant air naturally flowed in from outside.
In the lower level, people were freezing to death, but here, it was room temperature everywhere.
It was a thought I always had, but the atmosphere here was completely different from the middle and lower levels.
A lawn stretched out on one side, and there were no high-rise buildings in sight.
There weren’t even any clouds in the sky.
Sunlight, a rare sight in Neon City, bathed the ground.
The air was incredibly clean.
I took off my mask and put it in my pocket.
This is why people from other levels desperately tried to reach the upper level.
Getting out of the car, I looked straight ahead.
A large, luxurious hotel stood there.
【Casa del Lusso Gracium Hotel】
It was the location written on the invitation.
So, what now?
Since I had the invitation, I could go in alone without any problems.
But the chairman had said he would send someone.
It felt a little awkward to just go in.
…….
Okay, decided.
I’d wait for the Monolith employee and go in together.
It definitely wasn’t because I’m an introvert
and was scared to go in alone.
I looked around, trying to find a place to stand.
There were many people in elegant attire, and quite a few with gold or silver skin, like the cyberpunk celebrities I’d seen before.
Some of them were faces I’d seen on the news.
I could just stay tucked away in that corner over there.
Just as I was thinking that, a message arrived through my visual interface.
I thought it might be from the chairman,
but it was from the Monolith chief of staff.
Sender: ‘Monolith, Justin Borg’
A message from the Chairman.
He said he might be a little late,
so he asked you to go in first.
Please enjoy yourself carefully.
Hmm.
The last sentence seemed to be interpreted as “don’t cause trouble and just leave quietly.”
“…I guess I’ll just go in first.”
[There was no reason to stay outside anyway, I agree.]
But the message made me a little uneasy.
“He might be a little late,”
sounded like the chairman himself was coming.
I checked my neural computer chip’s translation module, thinking it might have malfunctioned, but there were no problems at all.
…….
No way, right?
It couldn’t be.
Why would such a busy person bother coming to a place like this?
He had said it himself last time.
That he might not be able to make it that day due to a busy schedule.
“Sigh.”
But why did I feel so uneasy?
With a growing sense of unease, I slowly walked towards the hotel, the venue of the party.
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