Somewhere in The Capital.
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Adventurer : Wakaba
Gender: Female
Class: Knight
Title: Calculated Knight
Level: 2
Strength: 6
Speed: 3
Health: 140
Perception: 0
Luck: 0
Mastery: 0
Most important skills :
Last Stand (Passive)
Mana Inspect (Passive)
Nullify Scan LV2
Quick Draw LV 2
Multi Slash LV 2
Author’s Note: I’m not listing every skill a character has that would take ages especially later on. This is just an indicator to give you an idea of their stats.
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Yawn. I woke up in a white room—the sheets, the bed, the curtains, everything was white. I got out of bed, still tired from the day before.
“I hate waking up early,” I sighed to myself.
I shuffled to the bathroom, still half-asleep, and splashed water on my face, letting my eyes adjust to the morning sunlight. My hair, a contrast of black at the roots and fading to a stark white at the tips, tumbled over my shoulders in disarray. I gathered it into a knot, securing it with practiced ease, when a sharp knock on my door broke the silence
Knock. Knock. Knock.
I opened the door to find a man with short, messy blonde hair and blue eyes. He was wearing iron armor without a helmet, emblazoned with a lion emblem. He greeted me with a warm smile and a strong presence. Above his head floated the name “LV 2 Lionheart.”
“Ready for our run?” he asked, smiling
“Whatever,” I replied monotonously, still not used to getting up at this hour.
Every morning for as long as I could remember, even on Earth, Leo would run a mile at dawn. I, not being as fast as him, had a hard time keeping up. We ran throughout the quadrant, the city seemingly desolate in the early morning light. I struggled to match his pace, my legs burning with the effort.
+1 Point to Speed
I guess one positive of running is that it’s a good way of earning skill points. I’ve noticed that besides adding skill points manually, you also gain them from actions like running or lifting heavy objects. Leo had gone ahead of me around a corner, so I paused to catch my breath.
The surrounding quadrant was bathed in white; everything was either white or silver or some variation of those colors. I wasn’t alone, though. Next to me was a building with a sign that read “Teleporter Off Duty.” The door was slightly ajar, and someone had just teleported away—I didn’t get a good look. Outside stood a girl, her name “LV 2 Alinta” floating above her. She glanced at me and smiled as she left.
With my hands on my knees, I got a second wind and began to run once more.
+10 Points to Health
“These notifications are really bothersome,” I thought, as I continued my run.
Leo must have noticed I was lagging behind because he eventually circled back for me. Together, we ran back to our inn and had something to eat. We ate in silence, neither of us breaking it until Leo spoke up.
“Once the guild opens, we can check up on our flyers.”
The day before, we had placed flyers all around the center of the capital, asking for members to join our party. I wondered aloud, my voice devoid of emotion, “What happens if we don’t get any replies?”
“Worst case, we’ll get it ourselves,” he replied happily.
After finishing our breakfast, we headed straight to the guild. Leo seemed eager to meet new people and hopefully recruit new party members. We entered the guild of the white quadrant, a towering white building that seemed to be the centerpiece of this area. The exterior was a blend of white and silver, while the interior was composed of marble and brown woods, giving it a rustic tone. At the center stood a circular table made of white crystal. People were talking in booths and planning their next adventures. The guild was buzzing with chatter.
On our flyers, we indicated to meet us at one of the booths during the guild’s active hours. We waited, and waited, and waited—it felt like an eternity, but was more likely about a few hours.
Eventually, two women approached our booth, holding our flier. They looked like they could have been side characters in an anime or manga, both of them at level 3. One of them slammed the flier on the desk and asked, “Is this for a party request looking for a healer and tank?”
“Yes, why don’t you sit down?” Leo smiled.
They both sat down, and I got a better look at their names—one was Lia, and the other was Mia. It was quiet for a while before Leo spoke up. “I’m sure you can see our names, but I’ll introduce us regardless.” He continued, “I’m Lionheart, and this is my girlfriend, Wakaba.” He pointed to me, and I waved at them.
“We need two members for our party so we can be the first to reach the fourth floor,” Leo explained.
“Why do you need to be the first?” Lia interjected.
Leo’s face lit up. “Do you know what relics are?” he asked, smiling.
Lia and Mia both nodded.
Lia spoke up, “Relics are the items that give you a reward when a boss is defeated, right?”
“Yes,” Leo replied. “A lot of people think that relics are random, but they aren’t—or at least in this game mode, they aren’t.”
“Game mode?” they said in unison.
“During the beta, there were three game modes you could play: Easy, Hard, and Impossible. Easy would have random relics and respawn. Hard would have random relics and no respawn. And Impossible would have set relics and no respawn.”
Lia interjected once more, “So we’re in Impossible,” she sighed.
“Correct,” I replied.
Mia and Lia looked uneasy, as if they had just seen a ghost.
One positive aspect of this mode is that there is a way to respawn upon death—these items are known as the 10 Rings, each appearing on every fourth floor. They were rumored to belong to the Ten Suns, but I didn’t trust Mia and Lia enough to share this information.
“Leo…” I said, still tired.
“Now that you know what we need, can you show us your stats?” Leo asked happily. “I’ll show mine first; that way, it’s more fair.”
Leo had told me that in the game, players would have to show their stats to join guilds and parties, ensuring everyone was up to par.
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Adventurer : Lionheart
Gender: Male
Class: Knight
Title: Energetic Knight
Level: 2
Strength: 6
Speed: 10
Health: 100
Perception: 1
Luck: 4
Mastery: 1
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“Wow, how’d you get those stats, Leo?” Lia said, impressed.
“I owe it all to running every day,” he snickered before continuing, “But only Wakaba can call me that.”
They swiftly apologized. A glow appeared in their eyes as I showed them my stats as well. They didn’t seem as impressed with mine as they were with Leo’s. Lia’s stats were pretty low all around, while Mia had the highest health stat I had seen—it was 210.
“Now that that’s over with, why don’t you order some food while we wait, and I’ll add you to the party,” Leo continued. “It’s asking me what I should name the party. What should we name it?”
We all sat quietly, thinking about our options and coming up with possible names. The room buzzed with soft suggestions as we considered each idea. After some back-and-forth Lia finally broke the quiet.
“Why don’t we name it L2WMN?”
“That’s an interesting name,” Leo remarked.
“Do you hate it?” she asked shyly.
“No, but what does it mean?”
“It’s based on the first letters of our names,” she explained with a small smile.
“What does the ‘N’ stand for?” I inquired.
Lia and Mia’s expressions turned somber, a shadow of sadness flickering across their faces. Lia’s eyes glistened with tears as Mia took a deep breath and spoke.
“It stands for our last party member’s name, Nia,” Mia said, her voice faltering. “We were attacked by goblins, and she… she didn’t make it.”
Lia added, her voice choked with emotion, “She sacrificed herself so we could live.”
“I’m so sorry,” Leo said softly.
“What does adding a letter to our name do for her?” I asked, unable to hide my skepticism.
“What? How dare you!” Mia snapped, her hands hitting the table with a force that drew the attention of those nearby.
“She died so you could add her name to a party?” I sighed in frustration.
“Shut up, you husk!” Mia yelled, her anger palpable.
“She’s gone now, but if you make it to the end, you can wish her back,” I replied
“That’s true, but what if we don’t make it to the end?” Mia’s voice trembled.
“If you don’t make it, her sacrifice will be in vain,” I replied.
Leo stepped in, trying to defuse the situation. “Calm down, Wakaba.”
“Sorry, Lia and Mia, she’s always like this,” Leo said, trying to ease the tension. “She means well.”
“It’s fine,” Leo continued, his voice steady. “Humanity will survive, and even if I don’t, someone’s wish will be to restore the world to what it once was.”
Leo always said. His wish was to return the world to its former state. But what if someone else wishes for the world to stay as the tower, or something similar? Do all wishes get answered, or is there a priority?
Mia and Lia’s faces brightened at the thought of seeing their friend again, but their gazes also turned cold as they looked at me.Their expressions suggested that, at that moment, I was the worst person in the tower at that very moment.
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Floor 3 has been cleared by Guild G2
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Leo stretched out his hand for a handshake, to which Mia and Lia obliged. I didn’t expect or want a handshake, but they stretched out their arms to give me one regardless.
As I stretched out my hand…
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L2WMN party invite
L2WMN party Joined
Leader : Lionheart
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“Warp,” Leo commanded, his voice resolute. A red light enveloped all of us, its intensity almost blinding. The last thing I saw before being transported to the next floor was Mia’s unrelenting stare, burning with a mix of determination and something darker.
Note 2: I’m not sure if I wrote this the best way, but these last two chapters have been happening at the same time. G2 killed the boss right after Wan died.
Note 3: Short chapter today. Let me know if you prefer this simpler style.
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