Chapter 9

    The Dragon Guardians Guild

    After contacting the leader of the Dragon Guardians Guild, Pun immediately arranged a meeting. It was quite a coincidence that they were staying at the same hotel, though on different floors. Pun then invited the guild leader to the rooftop dining room. The leader was silent for a moment before agreeing.

    Pun checked his appearance in the mirror, debating whether to wear the new outfit or stick with the starter gear. Eventually, he decided to wear his usual outfit for now... As Pun stepped out of his room, he saw the evening shift employee still there. Glancing at his watch, it was just 5 PM, likely confusing the guild leader about the timing of Pun's invitation.

    “Is there anything I can assist you with, sir? There was no need for you to come out; I could have come to you,” the staff remained as courteous as ever.

    “Nothing much, just heading to the rooftop dining area.”

    “...It seems someone has already booked it, sir. But not to worry, we can cancel their reservation. Please, wait a moment.”

    “There’s no need for that. If it's already booked... but I’ve also made an appointment with them, you see...” Pun looked troubled, realizing he had forgotten to ask. The employee, noticing Pun's dilemma, reassured him,

    “Don't worry, sir. It's our oversight. The rooftop dining area is actually reserved for you anyway.”

    Pun relaxed at the explanation. No wonder the guild leader was surprised; he must have thought Pun couldn't have booked the rooftop...

    …

    "What? The hotel called to cancel our rooftop booking? How did that happen?!!"

    The voice came from someone lounging on a genuine leather sofa that bounced back expensively. Dressed in black leather, emitting an aura of power, his fierce eyes and slightly upturned tail of the eye indicated stubbornness. His clenched mouth showed anger, yet he still looked imposing, like a war deity.

    "Calm down, Shin! It’s okay if it’s canceled," a soft voice from someone sitting not far away spoke. Clear, sincere eyes filled with wisdom, long eyebrows hinting at intellect. If compared to a war deity, this person would be Apollo, representing light, wearing a golden armor with dragon motifs, a dragon-shaped ring on his head complementing his golden hair.

    "Brother, how can I be calm? Darla thinks the hotel's action is too insulting to the Dragon Guardians Guild. We were gracious enough not to make an issue when someone else booked the 100th floor. When we settled for the rooftop dining instead, they agreed, but now they’re retracting their agreement."

    The woman speaking resembled the man in the golden armor, with an egg-shaped face and sparkling eyes showing intelligence and temper, a slightly upturned nose indicating stubbornness, thin lips hinting at pride, dressed in a long purple dress contrasting with her pale skin, a pink crystal necklace enhancing her elegance, reminiscent of Artemis, the huntress goddess.

    ...Beautiful indeed, a beauty unparalleled,

    A beauty like divine beings above,

    A beauty that is pure and refined like that of angels,

    A beauty that you, my sweet-heart…

    Unmatched in grace, a singular affair.

    (I made this up, it might sound odd, please don't mind.)

    "It's not surprising that our booking was canceled," the handsome golden-haired man, resembling Apollo himself, replied.

    "Do you know something, First?"

    A voice from the corner of the room, where a figure with light brown hair and orange glasses, making his eyes invisible, but the aura emitted seemed to know everyone's thoughts.

    "Not much, Mr. Vee. Everyone knows the rooftop dining is reserved for those staying on the 100th floor. Probably, the person staying there wanted to dine there too," he speculated.

    A deep, soft voice sounded along with a slight chuckle, an attitude that seemed cool, as if invulnerable.

    "Do you think so, First...?"

    "And how did you come by, Mr. Vee? Is there something urgent? Because the appearance of the Dragon Guardians Guild's esteemed secretary must signify something important..."

    The woman named Darla turned to look across, having not seen this secretary for months. It was rare for him to show himself, a person said to understand her brother best, understanding so profound that even she, as the younger sister, had to respect.

    "I just learned about the sale of a 30,000-slot bag and wanted to clarify if that bag belonged to you, First...!"

    "No way!! Darla doesn’t think so. Why would my elder brother sell such a valuable bag...?"

    Although she verbally doubted it, her heart couldn’t help thinking it might be true because this secretary always had a credible basis for his claims.

    "First, did you really sell it, my friend... You must have a reason, right?"

    The man known as the War Deity looked trustingly at his dear friend, Michael Raidera, the Light Deity, who inherited vast wealth and businesses from his father.

    "...It's true!!" A few simple sentences brought doubts to the sister and the trusted secretary...

    "...Big brother...!!" / "...Mr. First...~!!"

    "Sigh!!~~ Just one bag has got you all this worked up?"

    "This bag, earned from a once-in-an-event boss, is a trophy for us. Why would you sell it, elder brother?"

    "I came to listen to your reason, Mr. First. Could you please enlighten us?"

    "You must have a reason... I support you...!" The War Deity continued his support.

    "Just one bag, and you all are so heated... And the person daring to sell 4 legendary boxes, no, now 3... How could they... What makes them part with such items... Such a person is terrifying and worth watching..."

    "The owner of the legendary boxes is the same person!! Big brother, how did you know?"

    Everyone in the room was stunned and silent. Who was bold enough? Owning even one legendary box could shake the world of Dream Come True, but this person owned 4. Who was this person, crazy or brave, or... what exactly...

    "If you ask why I dared to sell, even the Red Wood Guild, Black Heck Guild, or other guilds joined the auction... You all know... Darla, tell me why..."

    First turned to his sister, curious how the Moon Goddess would explain.

    "Darla didn’t join the auction, but if my elder brother says those guilds participated, the money laid down must have been substantial, right?" Darla turned to her brother before he nodded softly and whispered...

    "Yes!. All for 100 orbs."

    "Phew!!~ Those legendary box auctions, if bid even one orb higher, let alone one bead, who can guarantee the box's ownership... This way, we've gained another 100 orbs, haven’t we?"

    The rest listened gravely. Who would get the box? The investment was huge, nearing a million orbs as the auction date approached. The tense atmosphere continued...

    ItemsStart PriceCurrent Bid

    1. Legendary Weapon Box500 orbs111,100 orbs

    2. Legendary Clothing Box500 orbs91,990 orbs

    3. Legendary Pet Box500 orbs78,880 orbs

    Time remaining before the auction ends: 3 days

    In the mansion of the illustrious Rakkaewprasert family,

    a young man was conversing with another in the living room, after checking on his son in his room. The speaker was none other than the retired Major Paireepinart Rakkaewprasert, engaging in conversation with a young man...

    “Ram...do you think I did the right thing by letting Pun play this game...?”

    “Dad...can we really look after him all the time? I think what you did was right...we should let Pun face various things.”

    This young man was actually Ramnetra Rakkaewprasert, Punn's real brother.

    “But son, how did you know that your brother started playing the game?”

    “I ran into the Uncle Ratna and Uncle Tinwong while I was dealing with a weapons purchase.”

    Ram was tired, as the flourishing business market nowadays seemed inseparable from military arms. If we didn’t sell, others would, and if those were our competitors, they might easily eliminate us.

    “Sigh!!~ The reason I support Pun playing this game is also to train him for another way of life. You know, if something happens to mom, dad, and Ram, how would Pun live? Even if his grandparents could look after him…” The father prepared for all eventualities, knowing the future was uncertain. Having once held power, why wouldn’t someone want to eliminate him after his retirement?

    “I understand. But how did you get Pun into the game?”

    “Ha! You’ll be surprised, Ram. I didn’t force Pun into the game. He came to me and asked to be put into the game.”

    “How could that be, dad? Given Pun loves books so much...”

    “At first, I wasn’t sure either until I sneaked into Punn’s library. There, the most prominent and seemingly valuable books were these. After reading them a bit, I understood...ha-ha-ha!!~”

    “Why...did Pun want to go in there???”

    “The forest...Pun wanted to go into the forest. Haha...”

“What?...”