"Do you really think we can catch up to the front-liners if we grind hard enough on this floor?"
A voice rang out from the far end of the table, tinged with a tug-of-war between skepticism and hope.All eyes turned to Copper, the one who had just brought them what they longed for: a shortcut.
Copper didn't respond immediately. He let his eyes drift slowly across the room, as if deciding how much to say...just enough to stir curiosity, but not enough to raise suspicion.
Then, he smiled.
Not a friendly smile, nor a cold one..just the kind that made you feel... you were about to hear something important.
"I can't say for sure."
He began calmly, leaving just enough silence to let hearts quietly sink.
"...But it's completely within reach."
He stood up, hands loosely clasped behind his back, eyes sweeping across each waiting face... deliberately.Not quite reading them, more like planting a seed in each of their minds.
"The monsters deep within the lower parts of the Dungeon... especially the abandoned, unexplored zones... give EXP equivalent to Floor 2, even 3. Also..."
He paused again, as if savoring the growing silence in everyone's thoughts.
"...they have a +10% EXP bonus. Not from the system, but from the dungeon environment itself, a kind of hidden danger-tier zone."
A few players gasped, as if they'd just stumbled upon buried treasure.Their eyes shifted, from wary to eager, from curious to visibly thrilled.
Copper let that eagerness sink deep.
Then he smiled again, this time, a smile thin as a razor blade.
"I'd say... just a few days... maybe a few weeks. Not long at all."
He took a step back, retreating into the dim light cast by the wall lamp, his voice slowing down like a lullaby:
"And if you still need more reasons..."
"Think about all the forgotten treasure chests... the untouched mini-bosses... and the triple drop rate of rare items from being the first ones there."
"They'll respawn, cycling like clockwork. And if we're the first to discover that rhythm..."
"The rewards will be ours. No fighting. No queues. No serving anyone else."
No one said a word.But their eyes said enough.
Copper didn't need to speak further.
He knew they had swallowed every word.
Then, a brief silence, like the whole room was holding its breath...Just enough time for hazy thoughts to take root… and turn into burning desire.
Copper still wore that faint smile, as if he knew exactly what they were thinking.
And he sealed it:
"I know... you're all excited, ready to dive into the dungeon tonight. But hold back a little longer."
His voice deepened, steady like a sweet lullaby:
"We begin tomorrow."
"First, we'll map out safe routes. Wait until everyone's leveled enough to avoid dying in vain."
He looked at each one of them, missing no gaze. His voice dropped lower, like a secret meant only for this circle.
"Tomorrow, we move out."
Just one sentence...But it was the spark that ignited the smoldering wildfire within everyone.
"Really...?"
"If Copper says so, then it must be true." someone spoke, full of belief.
"Yeah, he's never been wrong."
"We've been waiting for a chance like this for so long."
"I don't want to wait till tomorrow! I want to farm dungeon mobs right now!"
The words spread like a wave, followed by the crowd's excitement.
Hands clenched weapons.
Eyes gleamed like beasts before a feast of blood.
No more doubt.
No more hesitation.
Only one thing remained...
Trust.
Even if woven from illusion...
Even if it led to ruin.
Copper just curled his lips into a faint smile. Said nothing more.
He knew the prey had taken the bait.
"Don't."
A cold, low voice cut through the haze of the tavern like a blade, slicing straight through the rising frenzy.
"Don't ever bet on a game... where the dealer's the one offering the best conditions."
"Because the price for that... is always something you can't afford to pay."
The whole room froze.
Unfinished words caught in throats.
Every eye turned, toward a dark corner no one had noticed before.
A figure had been seated there all along, silent as though he belonged more to the world's shadow than to the reality of players.
The dim light reflected off the edges of his dusty black-gray cloak, the folds draping and blending into the old stone floor. One hand gripped the rim of an untouched glass of water, it felt cold, as if it had been there forever.
He wasn't a newcomer. He'd always been there.
A silent silhouette amid a noisy world.
"Am I right… aren't I, Copper?" that voice sounded once more, softer now, yet as chilling as a gust of wind through a crack.
Copper froze.
The smile still lingered on his lips, but his eyes changed. A flicker of uncertainty, a trace of caution, memories of old stirring like embers in dust.
Under that hood, nobody could see the face of the speaker.
Only one thing glowed like a blade cutting through the dark:
Two ice‑blue eyes, bright and cold as crystal, silent to the point of fear.
Copper narrowed his eyes, trying to make out the hidden face beneath the hood.The lamp's dull glow traced stray strands of hair falling over those blue eyes… eyes he thought he'd never forget.
For one moment, something like a distant memory flickered through his mind.
Then…
A smile blossomed, radiant, charming, and unsettlingly familiar.
"Ren… long time no see."
His voice was warm, touched with surprise and intimacy, like an old friend unexpectedly encountered in a crowded street.
Without hesitation, he stepped toward Ren, each stride light and sure, as though accustomed to walking in shadows.
"You haven't changed a bit," Copper said, eyes locked on Ren, each gesture calculated.
Under the cloak, Ren didn't move.
He didn't reply, didn't unsheathe his sword, didn't step back, he simply stared.
That look… no longer belonged to the frightened boy he once was.
It was the gaze of someone who'd nearly died, been betrayed, and learned to survive in the abyss.
The tavern air felt heavy.
Other players sensed that they were witnessing something far bigger, like two beasts meeting, claws hidden, smiles bared.
"Don't pretend we were ever friends," Ren finally spoke, voice level but as sharp as a blade.
Copper paused mid-step, his eyes narrowing for a moment, then easing back into an almost casual calm.
"Right, I forgot… you've never liked pleasantries." He tilted his head, lips curling in a slight smirk."Then I'll be blunt…"
"You still haven't forgiven me… have you?"
Copper halted again.
His eyes fell, that perpetual smile at the corner of his mouth fading, as if a cold wind had just passed through.
He exhaled softly, and when he spoke again, it wasn't the sly tone from before but a sorrowful admission, each word drawn from a heavy memory.
"It was… an accident," he began slowly.
"Back then, I was too confident in myself. I thought I was doing the right thing… but the truth is… I never considered anyone but myself."
Copper lowered his head.
For a moment, the lamp's glow highlighted his sharp nose and eyes half-hidden behind his hair, an image entirely at odds with the self-assured player from moments ago.
"I admit… I was selfish. Their faces then… their eyes… they haunt me in my dreams." His voice softened, more confession than excuse.
Then he raised his head, defenseless, no armor left, just a man, or at least, someone trying to appear so.
"Maybe I should pay the price for that. Maybe I have… and it still isn't enough."
A pause followed, then he concluded, not begging, but speaking from deep within:
"I'm trying to make amends… by helping others. Even if it's just a selfish way to ease my own guilt."
Ren frowned slightly.
He glanced at Copper… then shifted his gaze past the other players behind him.
They didn't look at Ren. Not one of them. Their eyes were fixed wholly on Copper, full of trust, as though his apology were undeniable truth.
Maybe… he had changed. After all that had happened.
Even Ren… had changed.
So much could change in a short time… maybe Ren should believe that…
Or maybe not.
Copper sighed.
Was this genuine...or just part of a never‑ending performance?
"I'm sorry…" he said, sounding weary, as if he hated every word he was forced to say."I don't know what to say to convince you… but if you…"
He paused, his gaze unwavering from Ren's.
"Tomorrow. Nine o'clock in the morning. We set out into the dungeon below. If you want… come with us."
Without waiting for a reply, Copper turned away. He led the group of players from the tavern, leaving behind a cold stillness and wooden chairs still warm to the touch.
Ren said nothing. He simply stood, quietly placing some coins on the counter.
"Water's free." The tavern owner's voice was gentle yet cut deep like a knife.
Ren froze mid-step.
A minor detail… yet it sent his thoughts crashing like ice across a frozen lake.
Water.
He had never drunk alcohol.
Not for lack of money. Not for preference.
But because… he had never dared.
In the old world… Ren had seen too many lives destroyed by "harmless" drinks.
Midnight fights. The stench of alcohol clinging to clothes that no washing could remove.Hands trembling around a bottle, clutching the last thing they could control…
Even here, even in a game, even if it was just illusion…
Ren had never mustered the courage to try.