The S-Rank Meeting
In a dimly lit conference room, a large table was set at the center, surrounded by twelve chairs placed side by side, facing each other. A single chair sat at the head of the table.
The atmosphere was tense, with so many S-Rank Players gathered in one place.
Chairman Hayashi
"Uh-ho... I never expected to see you all together again so soon. Has it been almost two years already since we last gathered like this?"
Arashi Aqua
"To be precise, it has been one year and eight months since our last meeting, Chairman."
Chairman Hayashi
"Oh, really?"
Aqua
"Yes. It was also for an S-Rank dungeon raid."
Chairman Hayashi
"That's right. Back then, we weren't fully prepared and lost many brave players who participated in that raid. However, that battle also gave birth to the S-Rank players who survived."
Aqua
"You're right, Chairman. We deeply appreciate the brave players who fought alongside us."
Reiji, sitting arrogantly with his feet propped up on the table, scoffed.
Reiji
"Enough with that drama, Chairman. I doubt Arashi is actually sincere about those players."
Ikari Ginoo suddenly stood up, slamming his fist on the table.
Ginoo
"What the hell are you trying to say?! Aqua and I did our best to sa—"
Before he could finish, Aqua calmly spoke his name.
Aqua
"Ginoo."
That alone was enough to stop him.
Aqua (continuing)
"I don't know what you're trying to imply, but at least we followed orders instead of acting on our own."
Reiji was furious. He dropped his feet from the table, stood up, and was about to grab Aqua.
Reiji
"You heartless brat—!"
Before the conflict escalated, Chairman Hayashi released a powerful aura, instantly intimidating everyone in the room.
Leon
"You truly have a magnificent and beautiful aura, Chairman."
Meanwhile, Sato, who had been sleeping on the table, barely paying attention to the conflict, opened his eyes for a moment in response to the Chairman's presence, then quickly returned to acting normal.
Obito and Yurina immediately rushed to calm their guild leader.
Obito
"Leader, let's calm down and focus on the meeting."
Yurina bowed deeply, apologizing to Aqua and the Chairman.
Yurina
"I'm sorry, Chairman. And Guild Leader Arashi, I hope for your understanding."
Aqua waved his hand to stop Yurina from bowing any further.
Aqua
"It's fine. I may have also said something unnecessary."
Reiji, still fuming, sat back down, trying to compose himself.
Once the room settled down, Chairman Hayashi spoke again.
Chairman Hayashi
"I know we've made mistakes in the past—mistakes we wish we could bury. But I need all of your cooperation to ensure those same mistakes don't happen again. I would really appreciate it if you all worked together."
The room fell into silence for a moment before each of them responded.
Aqua
"Understood, Chairman."
Reiji
"Alright, alright…"
Obito & Yurina
"Yes, Chairman."
Sato
Nods silently.
Leon
"Brilliant. This is simply elegant."
Before everyone could fully calm down, Chairman Hayashi's secretary, Aoyama, entered the room.
Holding the door open, she made way for someone behind her and announced,
Aoyama
"Chairman, I've brought the person you requested."
She then gestured with her hand, signaling for the individual to enter.
The sound of footsteps echoed through the tense room.
Tac. Tac. Tac.
As the person stepped in, a man with wavy violet short hair and a matching violet suit appeared. He carried himself in a laid-back manner, yet his face bore an unnatural, robotic smile—one that seemed entirely fake.
???
"Uy, uy, uy~! It's so nice to see everyone gathered like this. It's been so long, hasn't it?"
The moment everyone recognized who he was, the entire room shifted.
Their expressions turned uneasy and filled with irritation.
Even Aqua, who was usually calm and composed, snapped—his glare now radiating killing intent.
Sato, who never cared about his surroundings, suddenly became serious, showing true emotion for the first time—anger.
Leon, always elegant and impeccably handsome, now had a twitching expression of pure annoyance.
Ginoo's muscles tensed as he clenched his fists tightly.
Reiji gritted his teeth, glaring menacingly.
Even Yurina, who was always the one to calm Reiji down, was now unable to compose herself—her teeth clenched just like his.
And finally, Obito, who always appeared clumsy and carefree, now had a cold, calculating presence—his fiery gaze piercing through his thick glasses.
Aqua turned toward the chairman, his expression filled with disbelief.
Aqua
"What is this demon doing here?"
He then looked directly at the chairman.
"Chairman, why is this guy joining our meeting?"
Before the chairman could respond, Reiji stormed forward, grabbing the man's collar with both hands and lifting him off the ground.
Reiji
"How dare you show your face here!"
Despite being suspended in the air, the man remained unfazed.
???
"I see you haven't changed. You still have that temper and act as you please."
A smirk formed on his face, taunting Reiji.
At that moment, Reiji's aura flared, filling the room with overwhelming pressure.
Leon scoffed, crossing his arms.
Leon
"This ugly, tainted soul… I really wish I didn't have to breathe the same air as him."
Suddenly, the chairman's voice boomed through the room.
Chairman Hayashi
"Stop! I said stop this right now!"
His voice echoed with authority, causing Reiji to hesitate before finally releasing his grip and lowering the man to the ground.
Reiji
"But Chairman, this guy treats everything like a game! He doesn't care who dies as long as he enjoys the raid!"
The man straightened his suit, his smirk never fading.
???
"I never thought I'd hear that from someone who enjoys violence."
The tension in the room was suffocating.
Chairman Hayashi
"As I've told you all, this meeting is about planning ahead for the upcoming raid. Unlike last time, we must be fully prepared. We made many mistakes back then, and I refuse to let history repeat itself."
Ginoo clenched his fists.
Ginoo
"But this guy was the one who suggested that cruel plan back then!"
The chairman remained firm.
Chairman Hayashi
"And yet, if we had listened to him from the very start, we could have avoided even worse losses. His knowledge as a gamer makes him our best option for strategy in this upcoming raid—whether we like it or not."
The man chuckled, adjusting his tie.
???
"I'm quite disappointed in how you all look at me. You act like proud adventurers, but in the end, it was my plan that kept us alive. Right, Leader Arashi?"
His gaze locked onto Aqua.
"In the end, you were the one who decided to execute my strategy. And thanks to that, we survived."
Aqua remained silent, trying to stay composed. He knew he held responsibility for what happened back then.
The room grew still. Every S-rank player present now understood that they all shared some responsibility for that incident.
The man smiled.
???
"Well, it seems everyone has calmed down."
The chairman exhaled sharply.
Chairman Hayashi
"Fine. We'll proceed with the meeting."
However, despite his words, the chairman still did not fully trust this man.
The man clapped his hands together.
???
"Before we begin, I'd like to properly introduce myself—just as a formality."
His grin widened unnaturally.
Kagemura Yuki
"I'm Kagemura Yuki, and I'm glad to be working with you all."
His unsettling smile sent a chill through the room.
No one could hide their disgust. Every single person in the room was irritated by his presence, yet they couldn't deny the truth—Kagemura Yuki was one of the 12 S-rank Players of Japan.
Kagemura Yuki
Rank 7 in the Player Registry. One of Japan's 12 S-Rank Players.
Leon clicked his tongue in frustration.
Leon
"I really can't stand this guy's face."
Kanzaki Leon
Rank 5 in the Player Registry. One of Japan's 12 S-Rank Players.
Meanwhile, Sato, who had been briefly awake, sighed and went back to sleep.
Sato Ren
Rank 4 in the Player Registry. One of Japan's 12 S-Rank Players.
In Yuki's thoughts:
"Hahaha… I knew you were all easy to manipulate. Now I can proceed with my plan."
He smirked, thinking about his next move.
Yuki
"Alright, my first suggestion—how about opening this raid to all players and allowing them to join us?"
The room fell into stunned silence before erupting in disbelief.
"What???" Reiji exclaimed.
"Are you insane?" Ginoo shouted.
"We can't let lower-ranking players join this raid!" Aqua argued.
"This dungeon is S-rank! Are you out of your mind?" Leon added.
Even Sato, who usually didn't care much about the meeting, turned to the chairman, frustration evident in his voice.
"Hey, Chairman, this guy is really talking nonsense!"
But the chairman didn't oppose the idea; instead, he seemed intrigued by Yuki's suggestion.
In the chairman's thoughts:
"What is he planning? That's absurd and reckless."
Then the chairman spoke.
"Okay, I'm listening. You may proceed."
Yuki
"What I'm suggesting is that if we form a raid team with 50 to 100 players participating, we cou—"
Before he could finish, Aqua interrupted.
Aqua
"I won't allow you to do that! Are you insane? Are you planning to use them as bait again and just observe before we advance?"
Reiji
"You really haven't changed at all. You're still treating people's lives like puppets!"
Yuki
"Hold up. Are you seriously assuming that was my plan? That happened because we weren't well-prepared back then. But now, we already have experience with what an S-rank dungeon is like."
Chairman
"Let's hear him out first and let him finish. We can decide later if it's the best option."
Yuki
"That's right. The chairman is correct. Would you at least let me finish what I have to say?"
He sighed, clearing his throat before continuing.
Yuki
"Back then, we formed a 100-member raid party, if you remember, and only 12 of us survived. But what I'm saying is—we weren't S-rank players at the time. That's why we needed such a large raid group."
Chairman
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
Yuki
"What I mean is that, this time, we are all S-rank players. We are strong enough now to survive the dungeon on our own. However, I still plan to let 100 players join. Do you know why?"
Aqua
"Why?"
Yuki
"Boosting."
Reiji
"Boosting? What's that?"
Yuki
"I'm glad you asked. Boosting is a common tactic in gaming. A high-level player forms a party with lower-level players or even complete newbies, taking them on high-level quests or against powerful monsters. As a result, the lower-level players gain experience much faster than if they had to level up on their own."
He smirked before continuing.
Yuki
"In other words, we're boosting 100 players by letting them join our raid. While we'll be the ones actually dealing with the monsters, they'll still gain experience. As a result, they'll level up much faster, and who knows? We might even witness the birth of new S-rank players—if they all survive, that is."
The chairman found Yuki's proposal reasonable.
However, he still had doubts about whether it was the right choice.
Chairman
"How can you ensure that all 100 players will safely survive the dungeon?"
Yuki
"That's right. We need to secure their safety. So, aside from the 100 players, wouldn't it be best for each of our guilds to deploy our best players? They could be stationed at the dungeon entrance to protect them."
Chairman
"Hmm… It seems viable. What do you all think of his suggestion?"
Aqua
"At the very least, we need S-rank players to protect them, right?"
Sato
"My guild can handle that."
Obito
"Ah, wait… Are you just trying to slack off and avoid joining the raid team?"
Sato
"Yeah, yeah, you got me there."
Yuki
"See? This will work out perfectly. Also, do you guys remember? S-rank dungeons are filled with gemstones. How about letting them mine while waiting instead of just sitting around?"
Leon
"I see… So that's what you're really after."
Yuki
"I mean, gemstones are valuable. Isn't it reasonable for them to do a little work as a way to repay us for boosting them? Just a bit of effort would be enough to compensate for our hard work."
Chairman
"Is that all you really want?"
Yuki
"Of course! I need my fair share of the treasures we obtain. Besides, can you imagine having 100 new S-rank players in Japan? We could become the strongest country in the world."
Chairman
"Fine. Let's go with that plan."
Yuki
"But could you let me select the players who will join?"
In the chairman's thoughts:
"I knew it… You're definitely planning something else."
Chairman
"I won't allow that. They need to be selected under my supervision."
Yuki's smile almost faltered, but he quickly regained his composure.
Yuki
"Yup, of course! That's fine by me."
In Yuki's thoughts:
"I see right through you, Chairman. You probably doubt my plan, but I doubt you've seen through all of it."
Yuki
"Well then, I guess we're done here? Let's start preparing for the upcoming raid."
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
AN S-RANK DUNGEON WILL SOON SPAWN
DUNGEON SPAWN COUNTDOWN:
7 Days - 0 Hours - 0 Minutes
REMAINING TIME:
105:53:58
(4 days remaining until the dungeon spawns.)
Yuu paced in circles, anxiously biting the tip of his thumbnail while constantly checking his phone.
"What should I do? Why isn't it moving?"
He stared at the screen again.
"Oh! It moved!" His excitement flared for a moment—
"Wait… it stopped again?" His anxiety returned.
Yuu was tracking a delivery through an app. He had ordered something important, something he absolutely needed.
"Only four days left… I need this to be delivered now! I can't go there without it!"
Suddenly—
Ding dong, ding dong!
The doorbell rang.
"Wha—? It's here?!"
Without hesitation, Yuu rushed to the door and flung it open. His face lit up with excitement, like a child receiving candy. But then—
"Oh… it's just Ryo."
Ryo stood there, grinning.
"Yo, Yuu-sama! What's up?"
Yuu's excitement instantly faded. Without a word, he slowly shut the door, his enthusiasm completely drained.
Click. Locked.
"Eh?! Yuu-sama, let me in!" Ryo shouted, knocking on the door.
A few seconds later, Yuu processed what had just happened. His eyes widened, and he quickly reopened the door.
"Oh! Sorry about that, hehe…" He laughed awkwardly, finally realizing it was Ryo.
Ryo raised an eyebrow. "What's with you? Were you expecting someone else?"
Yuu scratched the back of his head. "Ha ha ha… Never mind, it's none of your business." He tried to brush it off, hiding the real reason he was waiting so anxiously.
Ryo sighed. "Anyway, I have something to discuss with you."
"Oh? Really? Alright, come in." Yuu stepped aside, letting Ryo in.
Yuu gestured for Ryo to sit on the sofa in the living room.
As Ryo sat down, he couldn't help but be surprised by Yuu's unexpected formality.
Yuu followed and asked, "Do you want something to drink?"
"Ah, just some juice is fine," Ryo replied.
Five minutes later…
Yuu was lounging on the sofa, casually sipping his juice through a straw, the bubbling sound of the liquid filling the quiet room.
Meanwhile, Ryo walked back from the kitchen, holding his own juice. Somehow, he had ended up serving himself instead of being served.
Yuu took another sip and said, "Woo… this orange juice tastes good."
Ryo sighed, clearly annoyed. "Yeah, I made it myself."
He was visibly irritated that he, the supposed guest, had ended up doing all the work.
But Yuu, completely unfazed, just grinned. "Hehe, thanks for the juice! Ah, you may leave now."
Ryo's jaw dropped. "Eeeeh?! I'm supposed to discuss something with you, Yuu-sama!"
Yuu blinked, suddenly remembering. "Ah—oh, that's right! Let's hear it, then." He quickly tried to act normal, as if he hadn't just forgotten.
Ryo started speaking in a serious tone.
"Yuu-sama, I might not be able to join your daily training starting today," he said. (He was referring to their daily gaming sessions, which he mistakenly believed to be actual training.)
Yuu immediately assumed he was talking about the game.
"I see, so you can't make it this time. Hmm… that's fine. To be honest, I'm also a bit busy—I have something to attend to this week."
Wait… what does he mean?
Is he secretly planning to participate in the upcoming dungeon?
Ryo's thoughts raced.
He scooted closer and patted Yuu's shoulder. "I knew it… You're probably working in your own way, Yuu-sama, and I respect that."
Ryo had been observing Yuu for a while and came to one conclusion—Yuu was an introvert who preferred to operate in the shadows rather than seek attention. He believed Yuu was secretly fulfilling his role as Player One, using gaming as a way to simulate battles against monsters.
Meanwhile, Yuu was weirded out.
What's wrong with this guy? Of course, I don't care if he skips playing this week… I was about to attend a cosplay convention.
And just like that, their misunderstanding deepened even further.
The Next Day
Ryo stood in front of the Tokyo Guild Association, determined to join the upcoming raid.
"This is it. I need to find a way to participate. If ranking up to S-rank is necessary—even though I don't feel strong enough to deserve the title—I'll do it."
With that thought, he stepped into the building.
The reception area was packed with players.
"Wait… what's going on? What's really happening here?" Ryo muttered in confusion.
Then, someone approached him.
"Oh, you're here too. Nice to see you again, Ryo."
As he turned around, he recognized the person immediately.
"Oh… it's you! From GriffinRed Guild, during the Great Harpy Raid. Nice to see you again," Ryo said.
A moment later, Hina, Greg, and the silent paladin from that same raid also appeared.
Hina asked, "So, are you applying to join the raid as well?"
"Yeah," Ryo nodded. "I want to see just how strong an S-rank dungeon really is."
Greg sighed. "Yeah, we wanted to know too, but apparently, they're only accepting excavation teams."
Ryo was caught off guard by the unfamiliar term.
"Excavation team? What do you mean? I've never heard of that before," he asked.
Oto crossed his arms. "That's right. It's new to us too. But they said S-rank dungeons are different from the ones we've encountered so far."
The silent paladin finally spoke up. "S-rank dungeons are labyrinth-type, unlike the usual portal-type dungeons." He paused, then added, "Ah, sorry for jumping into the conversation. I didn't get the chance to introduce myself properly during our last raid."
Greg chuckled. "Yeah, he's a bit shy in person."
Ryo grinned. "That's right. I never got your name, but you fought really well back then."
The paladin nodded. "I'm Rowan. I'm also a student, just like you, Ryo."
"Wait… do we go to the same school?" Ryo asked, surprised.
"Yeah, I've seen you around campus a few times. You're kind of popular," Rowan admitted.
Ryo laughed awkwardly. "Haha, you're exaggerating." Then he quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, can you explain that dungeon thing again?"
Rowan nodded. "Right. Apparently, there are two types of dungeons: portal and labyrinth. Portal-type dungeons are the most common—the ones where waves of monsters spawn until the final boss appears. But labyrinth-type dungeons, which only appear at higher rankings, work the other way around. Instead of monsters coming out, players have to go inside and conquer the dungeon within a time limit. If we fail, a Monster Break happens, meaning the dungeon will unleash monsters into the world."
He continued, "The Guild Association also revealed that labyrinth dungeons are filled with treasures and rare minerals. That's why they're forming excavation teams to mine resources and retrieve valuable loot."
Oto added, "Yeah, the excavation team's job is to carry the treasure and gather minerals from the dungeon. Meanwhile, S-rank players will be the ones fighting the monsters."
Ryo furrowed his brows. "Wait… so you're telling me they're only accepting excavation teams?"
Hina nodded. "Yeah. The raid team has already been decided."
Greg sighed. "The top guild members from GriffinRed, OrthrusAzure, BlackHydra, GoldPegasus, and PurpleCerberus are handling the raid."
Rowan added, "I also heard that eight S-rank players will be participating."
Ryo clenched his fists. "So I can't be part of the raid team?"
Oto shrugged. "Seems like it. But honestly, being in the excavation team isn't too bad. We'll still earn experience once the dungeon is cleared."
Ryo, however, wasn't convinced. "I actually wanted to see for myself just how strong an S-rank dungeon is… and how S-rank players operate."
Oto suddenly remembered something. "Wait… during the points distribution last time, you reached the maximum points for an A-rank player. You're basically an S-rank already."
Ryo hesitated. "Yeah… but I still doubt my abilities. I don't feel like I deserve the S-rank title."
Greg scoffed. "Come on, man. We saw how you fought! You almost one-shotted the Great Harpy. Too bad it managed to flee."
Hina nodded. "Yeah, but in the end, you still chased it down and defeated it."
Ryo scratched the back of his head. "That actually wasn't m—"
Oto interrupted, "Don't be so hard on yourself. We all know you're a capable fighter. If you decide to rank up, you could become the 13th S-rank player in Japan."
Before Ryo could respond, a guild official suddenly interrupted their conversation.
"Hey, you guys over there! If you want to apply, just fall in line already!"
A loud wave of complaints erupted from the players behind them.
"Hey, move! You're blocking the entrance!"
"Seriously, have some shame! We're busy here!"
Realizing their mistake, the group immediately bowed in embarrassment.
"Sorry about that!" Oto apologized.
"We apologize," Hina added.
"We didn't mean to block the entrance," Ryo said.
"We're sorry," Greg followed.
Rowan simply bowed in silent embarrassment.
Suddenly, someone entered the Guild Association building.
The crowd of players immediately began murmuring.
"Hey, that guy… is he one of the S-rank players?"
"Yo, that's Yuki—the Guild Leader of PurpleCerberus!"
"For real?! Is that Kagemura Yuki?"
"Whoa, it really is him—the infamous Puppet Master!"
"I heard he was a famous gamer before becoming a Player."
"Wow, I never thought I'd see such a legend in person!"
Ryo and his friends from GriffinRed also noticed Yuki's arrival.
Oto crossed his arms. "That sly fox… I've heard stories about him from our guild's history."
Hina nodded. "That's right. Our guild leader despises his very existence. And after learning what he did, I can see why—he really is evil."
But Ryo wasn't listening.
He felt chills run down his spine.
"Such an intimidating aura… He's truly menacing… almost like a monster."
A group of suspicious-looking players entered behind Yuki. They were clearly following his lead, and despite their ominous appearance, they were immediately accepted into the excavation team—with Yuki's approval.
Ryo furrowed his brows. "Wait… why aren't they lining up like the rest of us?"
Greg scoffed. "That's VIP treatment right there."
Oto narrowed his eyes. "He's probably scheming something. What do you guys think?"
Hina clenched her fists. "We should inform our leader about this."
With that, the selection of applicants continued.