Tea.

Argo couldn't stop smiling, like a child who had just won an important bet.

Ren leaned his elbow on the table and slightly turned his face to the side, avoiding those eyes that were glowing with excitement. Though he said nothing, the corner of his mouth twitched, as if a faint smile had nearly appeared.

"You have no idea... I was going crazy not knowing where you were during those first few days. I thought you had…"

She trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished. Her voice dropped a little.

"…disappeared like the others."

Ren didn't reply. There was no need. Between them hung a brief silence, not awkward, just a necessary quiet to breathe, to find balance.

"Anyway…" Argo spoke again, her tone softer this time, "Thank you for not disappearing."

Ren didn't answer right away. He just looked out the nearby window, where the afternoon sunlight shimmered through a dusty pane of glass. Outside, the cobblestone street was deserted, a few faded leaves drifting by in the breeze.

"…I still have things to do here."

A simple response, but Argo understood. And that was all she needed.

"Well then, see you at the raid meeting." Argo stood up as she spoke, stretching lightly as if she had just lifted a burden from her heart.

"Yeah."

"And remember," she pointed at Ren with her usual sly grin, "this time I'll be watching closely, if you pull off any of those flashy moves and vanish like a ghost again, I won't let it slide!"

Ren chuckled quietly. "I didn't know I needed permission… to go somewhere."

"Well... I don't recall needing permission either." Argo winked and walked off, leaving Ren alone amid the faint scent of milk tea.

He slowly clenched his hand, his gaze returning to the window once more.

The first raid party.

He had agreed to join.

Whether it was out of softness, or something deeper he couldn't yet name.

"Wait... are you seriously leaving without paying for the tea?" Ren suddenly realized something and called out.

She turned to look at him with a not-so-pleased expression, a hint of disappointment on her face, like a mother staring at her naïve child. "You're seriously going to make a girl pay on a date?"

"But you were the one who invited me," Ren frowned at her absurd logic. Why should he pay for something he didn't even drink?

Argo placed her hands on her hips, chin tilted challengingly, eyes glinting mischievously under her messy bangs. "Sure, I invited you, but wasn't it for serious business?"

"In cases like these, they call it a 'strategic meeting,' and usually the one being briefed is the one who pays."

Ren blinked, utterly unable to follow that logic. "You just made that up, didn't you?"

"Not at all!" Argo shrugged, arms crossed. "This is Aincrad. The rules are set by those who know how to survive. And me? I've been surviving just fine."

"And I'm being shamelessly exploited..." Ren sighed, pulling a few Cor from his pouch, his eyes full of sorrow like he'd just lost a piece of his soul.

"Think of it as an investment in the future… Next time you buy info from me, I'll give you a discount."

Argo gave a thumbs-up, then turned and walked away with a light step, as if she owed nothing to anyone. "See you at the meeting, you soft-hearted idiot!"

"Wait... do you need any equipment?" Ren hesitated, then asked.

Argo stopped at the doorway, turned around, one foot still hovering outside, hand on her hip.

"Equipment? You mean because I'm not walking around in shiny iron armor or carrying a three-meter-long sword?"

Ren scratched his cheek, slightly flustered by her sarcastic tone. "No, I meant… if you need anything practical for the coming battle, I could help. Prices are negotiable…"

"Ren." Argo cut him off, her voice noticeably gentler, no longer filled with mischief. "I know you think I'm weaker than you, or the others… But I'm not the type to stand in the front and swing a sword, and if it came down to a one-on-one, who knows who'd win."

She patted the small cloth pouch tied at her waist. "I've already got my own weapons. Don't worry."

Ren gave a slight nod. He understood. In this world, there were many ways to fight, not everyone needed a sharp blade or heavy armor.

"I don't need anyone to fight for me," Argo added, this time with a genuine smile. "But I truly appreciate someone willing to walk beside me."

Then she turned and walked fully out of the shop.

Ren watched her for a moment, his eyes softening.

"She's... definitely strange. Who in their right mind would pass up on perfectly safe armor…"

He sighed and walked toward the counter. A notification popped up on the interface: –120 Cor.

He glanced at the dwindling numbers in his pouch. No math was needed to know he was approaching rock bottom.

Every single Cor now was sweat, blood, pixelated red, from endless battles. And yet it had been spent... on a cup of tea he hadn't even touched.

And it was absurdly overpriced...

Behind the counter, the shopkeeper still wore her gentle smile, as if completely unaware that a young man's heart had just cracked a little more.

Ren suppressed a second sigh.

It wasn't the shop owner's fault.

Nor was it Argo's. But… if there was anyone to blame right now… it could only be himself.

'What did I do wrong?' Ren told himself. Clearly, he was the victim of this absurd game...

"Thanks for the tea," Ren said softly, his voice light, as if afraid to shatter the peacefulness of the cozy space.

The shop owner nodded in response, her smile unchanged.

Ren turned away, stepped out of the shop, and adjusted his hood, a habit he had whenever he wanted to hide his emotions.

The evening breeze on the street blew gently, carrying the scent of sweet pastries and the sound of other players' footsteps. But for Ren, in that moment, there was only one sound echoing in his mind:

–120 Cor.

A cruel reminder that Aincrad wasn't a dream. And nothing here was free.

...

Under the twilight sky, the last rays of sunlight gently stretched across the dark red rooftops, no longer harsh like midday, but still enough to warm the cobbled road beneath his feet.

Ren quietly walked among the bustling crowd, his heart not set on the labyrinth today, even though his coin pouch was growing worryingly light.

But after sharing information once before, he no longer had to spend his savings on others. The current system was running much more smoothly now.

And so, letting his legs lead the way on their own, he found himself in the town's market district.Not to shop, but to finally get rid of a troublesome item... something he had let sit in his storage for far too long.

Ren, with a face full of disappointment, stepped out of one shop after another, sighing each time he left.

He could sell the item, but the prices never reached what he hoped for. The item held value for him, but no one was willing to pay a fair price.

There was still a faint glimmer of hope in his heart, but the feeling of exhaustion gradually took over. He just wanted to sell it and move on, but it seemed like he couldn't escape this endless loop.

Just then, Agil's familiar voice called out from behind, bringing with it a flicker of new hope:

"What are you looking for?"

Ren turned around, eyes flashing with a hint of surprise.He hadn't realized he'd wandered back to the stall he had asked directions at earlier.

The stall owner still looked just as intimidating, with the strong, rugged presence of someone who had faced his fair share of trials.

After a brief hesitation, Ren asked, "You buy gear, right?"

Agil raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Mind if I take a look first? Is it the same thing you tried to sell earlier?"

Ren gave a small nod, then opened his inventory.

Immediately, there was a loud THUD!

The wooden table of Agil's stall collapsed under the weight of the item.

It was… a suit of armor.

A heavy steel set, which Ren had spent a good sum on, thinking it would help in future battles.But in reality, his strength stats weren't high enough to wear it comfortably.

He could still equip it, sure...but it felt like running around with an entire room strapped to his back.

Ren pressed his lips together, feeling embarrassed at Agil's reaction, as if the massive armor set didn't match his frame at all.

Agil gave Ren a strange look but said nothing.He started inspecting the equipment, skipping any showy gestures and going straight to the stats.

"Durability's nearly new," he muttered, then continued, "Takes 25 VIT and 30 STR to equip. You're bold, I'll give you that, not many hit those numbers this early."

He squinted, checking a little more. "But the defense is excellent. Might even tank a whole group of Kobolds in the labyrinth without taking much damage… but," Agil paused for a moment, eyes scanning Ren, weighing his words carefully.

"–10 AGI though…". He fell silent, eyes flicking back to the armor with a merchant's calculating gaze. "You wanna sell it? 5,000 Cor… how does that sound? Includes the table. Don't forget that."

Agil's eyes didn't leave Ren's, as if waiting for a reaction, ready to negotiate if needed.

Ren nodded lightly, as if accepting a defeat he had already prepared for.

That price was only half of what he'd paid for the armor, but it was still better than the other shops, some had only offered a third.

And honestly, he was the one who'd dropped the whole set and broken the guy's table.

"Well then…" Agil smiled, extending a hand, "congrats on the deal."

Ren shook his hand, feeling something steady and reliable in Agil's large, firm grip.

"My name's Agil. If you ever want to buy or sell anything, just come to me. Even if you just wanna talk about random stuff, that's fine too."

Ren gave a faint smile, the frustration in his chest easing just a bit.At least today wasn't completely terrible.

He replied, "Ren."

Agil nodded. "Got it, Ren. That name sounds like… we'll be hearing it a lot in the future."

It was a simple line, said casually, without much meaning behind it. And yet, for some reason, it made Ren pause for a beat.