Chapter 58

The background music from a restaurant in Leore, identical to this cafe, is softening the girl’s intimidating aura.

As I stood closer, the girl’s appearance felt nothing like the atmosphere inside Leore.

From a distance, she seemed like just another person with a different vibe, but now, up close, she felt like a completely different person from the Arang user in Leore.

“Twins? Did someone else come on purpose? It was strange from the start. Even if Reina is the leader of the Mea’d raid party, suddenly making plans or everything being suspicious is just too weird.”

“Ah, Arang? Hi?”

Reina, oblivious to my unease, approached the girl and greeted her with a handshake.

Reina naturally spoke in English, but the girl slowly nodded, perhaps because of the handshake.

“No matter how much I think about it, I can’t believe it’s the same person. Or is she even human to begin with?”

Reina, being an airhead, was babbling something like “S, Sso, attribute…! Me, meadow…!”

Since Reina’s a bit of a fool, I decided to thoroughly check if this girl is really the Arang user, or if she’s a good or bad person, or someone who might negatively affect Reina.

I slowly observed the girl.

Arang in Leore. Arang in reality now. Both, the first thing that catches your eye is her eyes.

The eyes of the Arang user in Leore, who brightens the surroundings and leads the raid party, making everyone think she’s the party leader.

Even though I dislike the Arang user, the 1v1 video from the last raid was something that made even my heart race, and probably every Leore player’s too.

Even three weeks after the raid was released, no one has cleared the 1v1 mechanic as a dealer.

The boss’s attacks, composed of a perfect system AI with zero error margin, were unbeatable by anyone, even with the same class and skills.

All dealers were inspired by the Arang user’s video and challenged it, but they only ended up wasting time as the tank used survival skills, and the tank’s attack power was too low to make a difference.

But what about the eyes of the girl in front of me now?

Is she even a living human? Or is she human at all?

Just making eye contact gives me chills. And for some twisted reason, everything is black, black, black, black.

Her hair, eyes, clothes, gloves, stockings—everything is black.

The only visible parts are her face, neck, and the white collar around her neck; the rest is covered in pitch black.

Why is she wearing thick gloves in summer, and stockings so thick they can’t even be called stockings, made of a material that doesn’t breathe? I can’t understand it.

And there’s a sense of incongruity.

Looking at the girl, I feel a sense of incongruity. Why don’t I recognize her as a person? Why don’t I feel she’s alive?

First, it’s obviously her eyes.

Eyes with no focus, no will to live, in the bright and hopeful setting of a Leore restaurant, but when you look into her eyes, it feels like the surroundings are being engulfed in shadows.

Second is…

I don’t know.

There’s definitely something different about her.

But I don’t know.

No matter how I think about it, the girl in front of me isn’t a normal girl.

She’s a dangerous girl somewhere. This person is the Leore Arang user? Don’t make me laugh.

This is 100% a prank set up to mess with us.

“Reina. Let’s just go.”

Emma grabbed Reina’s wrist, who was lingering near the ominous girl, trying to get away from her.

“Huh? Why?”

“That’s… not right. It doesn’t seem like she belongs here.”

“Why? We came all this way? I want to talk to Arang.”

“What kind of conversation can you have when you can’t even communicate?”

“Why. There’s this.”

Reina tapped the access device on her neck.

Of course, the clueless Reina doesn’t understand the situation. The woman and her intimidating bodyguards have already taken their positions on the second floor.

‘This is definitely a trap…! To prevent Reina and me, the leaders of the world’s top Mea’d raid party, from playing Leore…!?’

Screaming for help here? Impossible.

There’s nothing around this building. Even if I screamed, no one would hear.

“Um… access device… virtual… world…”

“Ah…! Arang’s voice is amazing…! So cute!”

‘Using the access device to meet in the virtual world… Dangerous… Dangerous…!’

The virtual world through the access device.

Since the virtual world came out, everyone has been ecstatic. You can do anything in the virtual world that you can’t do in reality.

But crimes involving the access device have skyrocketed.

The access device simply blocks the signals from the brain to the body and retrieves information.

So no matter how much you move in the virtual world, your body in reality doesn’t move.

We usually call people who are in the virtual world “soulless.”

Meaning, they’re defenseless.

Of course, if there’s an external shock, the access device sends a signal to alert of an emergency.

But sudden actions, like instant death, can’t be prevented.

This situation is clearly manipulated.

Using this broken, dead girl in front of us to lure us, making us talk to her through the access device in the virtual world.

And then killing us defenseless and stuffing us into drums to throw into the sea…!?

But knowing the plan, what can we do?

Nothing.

No matter how much Reina and I are the world’s top Mea’d raid party in Leore, in reality, we’re just women.

Reina, hehe, smiling, was connecting the girl’s access device with a cable.

“Emma, come on!”

“Do it first.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Party leaders should talk first.”

“Ah! Got it!”

Reina placed a chair next to the girl, pressed the access device button, and dropped her head to the floor.

The first thought.

Just don’t enter the virtual world.

If anything seems off, immediately shake Reina’s body to use the emergency call function built into the access device.

“Miss Emma, aren’t you going in?”

Of course, that’s how it would come out…!

“Ah, yes. This is a conversation between party leaders.”

“Hmm… I see. There’s one thing I’m curious about, can I ask?”

“Ugh…! Yes…!”

What kind of question is she going to ask? Is she going to find out our family’s contacts and demand money!?

“What’s a useful life skill in Leore besides equipment crafting?”

“… What?”

==

I knew it was Arang as soon as I saw her.

And I also knew that Arang wasn’t an ordinary girl.

But with all the cuteness I’ve conquered, I saw Arang in the girl’s eyes.

The reason Arang accepted my request without hesitation, even with her current appearance in reality, is surely because she wants to overcome her current state.

With the judgment honed by playing with many children, I could speak to Arang without hesitation.

For comfortable communication, we connected our access devices with a cable and entered the virtual world.

“Hello!”

Arang, with a bright face, waved her hand and greeted me, just like in the Leore video I saw.

‘Ah… I might cry…’

How long has it been since I saw Arang? Two weeks? It’s really a short time.

This is the first time I’ve seen Arang in reality and the first time in the virtual world.

But seeing Arang in reality and then in the virtual world makes my heart swell.

What kind of sad events must have happened for her to make such an expression? How much effort did she put into overcoming it? And is she really enjoying herself in this world to have such a bright expression?

Thousands of thoughts flashed through my mind, but the important thing now is to first increase Arang’s favorability.

Surely, cosplay activities will become a big enjoyable hobby for Arang, just like Leore.

Then, Arang in reality will quickly regain her bright smile.

And if she starts to like cosplay… I can help her with this and that… Ahem.

No.

Now, I need to have a serious conversation with Arang.

Still, the meeting of our Mea’d raid party, recognized as the world’s best, and the Arang Arang raid party, becoming famous as a rising powerhouse this season with WFK!

Moreover, Arang said she has a lot to ask. Of course, I also have a lot to ask about Arang.

Even though Arang is a 15-year-old girl, her skills are top-tier in Leore.

No, her physical skills are number one.

“Wow! Reina, you’re Reina in reality too? You’re so pretty!”

Arang’s voice, naturally translated, came through, and Reina smiled and said.

“Arang, you’re pretty too! When I first saw you, I was so surprised~ It’s like a cute doll sitting there!”

“Thank you. It’s true that my eyes are dead, so I do look like a doll. That’s probably why you like me.”

Eek… Did I… step on a landmine…?