Chapter 1

In a room surrounded by black bricks, two figures faced each other.

One was named Hayato.

A man in his early twenties, he had short black hair, wore a black and green camouflage bandana, and was dressed in black cloth armor that seemed to offer little protection.

The other was named Nai.

A blue-eyed woman with golden hair tied in a ponytail, she was clad in silver plate armor that covered her entire body.

"Nai, I'm sorry, but I want you to leave the clan."

"Seriously?"

Hayato had logged into the game early in the morning and was summoned by Nai, the clan leader of the clan he belonged to.

The game he logged into was a full-dive VRMMORPG called "Another Frontier Online." It was a virtual reality game where players could almost completely synchronize their five senses by wearing a headset.

The game had a system where players could form clans. "Black Dragon" was one of many such clans, and the events took place in their black brick fortress.

Nai told Hayato that she wanted him to leave the clan. For Hayato, this was not entirely unexpected. The cause was a major update that took place six months ago, which introduced clan wars, battles between different clans.

The game had been popular even before the update, being the world's first VRMMORPG. However, the introduction of clan wars further boosted its popularity. Most players now aimed to win these wars as a major goal in the game.

In this game, a player's strength was determined by their skill composition and physical abilities.

Skills were point-based, with each skill having a value from 0 to 100, and a total point limit of 1000. It was generally accepted that a well-rounded skill composition was weak, so the mainstream approach was to have ten skills, each with 100 points.

Hayato's skill composition was entirely made up of production skills or their supporting skills.

Skills for attacking with weapons, using magic, summoning or controlling monsters would have made him a valuable asset in battle, but Hayato had none of these. In clan wars, he was completely useless.

Until now, it hadn't been a problem. He had been content to explore the game world with like-minded friends, and his production skills were valuable and contributed to the clan.

However, with winning clan wars becoming the primary goal, non-combat players were seen as a burden.

For the past six months, Hayato had been repeatedly told by clan members to change his skill composition to include combat skills, but he stubbornly refused to do so.

This was the reason he was now being asked to leave the clan.

"I know it's a lot to ask, but this is the consensus of the clan."

"Am I really just one member of the clan, or is this a consensus?"

Despite his words, Hayato quickly accepted that this was the end.

The clan leader had the authority to forcibly remove members. Even if Hayato made a fuss, he could still be removed without any say.

(I guess they want me to leave voluntarily to avoid the heavy penalties of a forced removal. If a player is forcibly removed, they can't join any clan for a month, which means they can't participate in a clan war.)

Clan wars took place once a month. Not being able to join any clan for a month meant missing out on a clan war, which was a problem for Hayato.

(They probably thought it would be bad to force me out because we can't afford to lose a clan war. Even if I'm kicked out, it's still a similar situation, but I should see this as kindness. Refusing to change my skill composition was my stubbornness. I guess it can't be helped.)

"Hayato, you've been a great help, and the clan has grown thanks to you. But to reach a higher rank, we need more combat power. If you had combat skills, I wouldn't have to say this..."

"I understand. I've been told repeatedly, and my stubbornness in sticking to production skills is my fault. It almost cost us the last clan war."

Three days ago, during a clan war, an enemy clan member infiltrated a location they were defending and engaged Hayato in a one-on-one battle. Without combat skills, Hayato barely managed to repel the enemy using valuable items, and it was a close call.

The enemy seemed to have infiltration skills, and if Hayato had combat skills, repelling the enemy would have been easier. Although he wasn't blamed for using the valuable items, the atmosphere became awkward.

Hayato let out a deep sigh.

"Alright. I'll leave the clan. I'll join another one."

"Really? Ah, no, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be happy... But, well, it can't be helped. Staying would just make the atmosphere worse. I'll leave cleanly. But, will the cooking, medicine preparation, and weapon repairs be okay without me?"

"Don't worry. Everyone has at least one production skill as a backup. We can pool our skills to cover for you."

"That's a bit sad to hear... By the way, as a parting gift, can I take some useful items for production? It's tough to leave with just the clothes on my back."

"Of course. Take anything you need from the clan's shared items. But, please leave the legendary weapons behind..."

"I can't use those anyway. What I want are convenient items for production."

"Are there such items? I'm not familiar with them, but of course, you can take them. Also, take half of the clan's shared funds. Whether you join another clan or start a new one, you'll need the money."

"Being kicked out is a problem, but that's very generous. I'll gather the items I need and then leave. Thanks for everything."

"That's what I should say. But, are you leaving right away? Shouldn't you say goodbye to everyone—"

"No, it's fine. I'll just leave a message on the clan board. It's not because they dislike me. We're not breaking up on bad terms, and we'll probably see each other again. That's enough."

"You're right. Even though I'm kicking you out, I hope you'll visit when you have the time. You're always welcome."

"Sure, I'll visit occasionally. But, don't let the clan's rank drop after I leave. I'll laugh if that happens."

"True, that would be embarrassing. I'll do my best to prevent it."

After that, Hayato took the necessary items, left the clan, and exited the fortress. He shook hands with the clan leader and all the members who had come to see him off, then walked towards the nearby town.

Hayato's shoulders slumped once the fortress was out of sight.

He had left without any hard feelings, but his heart was filled with a sense of crisis.

(Things are bad. I thought I had six months, but I was kicked out much sooner. I need to get into a state where I can win clan wars as soon as possible, or things will get worse.)

Why was he so anxious? Because winning clan wars was crucial for Hayato. It was a matter of life and death.

This game, "Another Frontier Online," had a unique feature that started when the clan war system was introduced.

The unique feature was the ability to earn a reward. Of course, there were conditions to earn the reward.

Winning a clan war.

Recently, Hayato had quit his job.

In short, he had no other source of income besides the game.

(I have some savings, but I don't know how long they'll last. I need to form a clan that can win as soon as possible. If I can make it into the top ranks in the final ranking six months from now, I can win 100 million yen in the first anniversary of the clan wars. I have to aim for that!)

The game company announced that the top five teams in the ranking six months from now would each receive 100 million yen. This announcement had spurred all clans to strengthen their forces.

100 million yen. Even after taxes, it wouldn't be enough to live off forever, but it was a valuable amount to aim for.

(I have to do it. It might not be a complete life turnaround, but if I can win the prize, I can get a foothold to become a café owner, which has been my dream. But if I don't make it into the ranking in six months, I'll have to work... No, I can't work for someone else again. I have to win the prize.)

With this resolve, Hayato left the scene.

One week later, Hayato was alone in the new clan's base, clutching his head.