Chapter 6

"Wow, so you were kicked out of the guild castle?"

"Kicked out? No, we just lost our hideout...!"

Including my personal room. My home, too.

Ridian sighed deeply, as if the ground had opened up beneath her.

The place where she was currently with Hern was a tavern in the city of Midgard. Despite being called a tavern, it didn't sell alcohol, so to players, it was just a restaurant attached to an inn.

"So, are you going to stay at an inn now, guild leader?"

The problem that players faced upon transitioning to the unfamiliar game world was 'basic living conditions.'

There was no issue with taking clothes out of their inventory and changing or taking out food to eat, as these could be done through the system. They could also purchase items from NPC shops. As long as they had money, obtaining food and clothing was not a significant problem.

The issue was the basic human needs of hunger and sleep.

Hunger and sleep had a significant impact on fatigue. When physical fatigue accumulated like in real life, movements became sluggish, and recovery was slower.

Nord World had day and night, and the circadian rhythm flowed proportionally with the time of day, just like in reality. Therefore, players had to eat and sleep on time, just as they did in the real world. Strangely, there were no ambiguous activities like using the bathroom.

After the transition, players who realized the importance of eating and sleeping moved busily to find restaurants and places to sleep.

Fortunately, there were many inns in the city of Midgard. For a certain fee, anyone could eat and rent a room to sleep.

"I'm thinking about getting a house. I didn't even consider it because I thought houses were cash items, but when I looked today, I saw that ordinary houses on the street can be bought with gold, though at a very high price. I didn't expect there to be a real estate system here..."

"Well, it's not strange since there was a house system to begin with. But if you try to get one now, you might have to give up on a place close by. I heard that rich high-ranking players had already speculated on them. A few days ago, I overheard that someone had already bought several and was selling them at a premium. Koreans are scary, aren't they?"

"Wow, really? Then the center must already be taken over?"

"That place is already their world."

Houses in Midgard were different from the houses available in the game. The price of ordinary houses typically ranged from 40 million to 80 million gold. Unlike the artificial and modern houses, ordinary houses had a plain and realistic atmosphere, as if the medieval era had been transplanted.

The daily accommodation fee at an inn was 100,000 gold, which was quite expensive. In a month, it would cost nearly 3 million gold. Therefore, low-level players who lacked financial resources either shared rooms or slept on the streets.

This issue was also a topic of much discussion, and the combat guild alliance was seeking a solution. While it might not be a problem immediately, it would become an issue with the long-term supply of resources.

"But, guild leader, you must be a gold tycoon. If you can afford a house..."

"No, not really... I've been playing since the early days, so I've been lucky to save up. I mostly dealt in avatars. I originally wanted to save, but given my personality, staying at an inn would be too stressful... Even if it costs more, I think it's better to get a house. Hern, are you comfortable?"

"I had a friend send me a lot of gold when the game started. And if I run out, I can just take more. He's really rich, you know."

"Then that's good. I'm thinking of getting a house and, if there are any new players in trouble, I might help them out."

"Whoa, guild leader. That's a disease, a disease. Even if they're the same gender, bringing a stranger into your house is a bit much, isn't it? I'd feel really uncomfortable and anxious."

Ridian scratched her head at Hern's pointed comment.

"Is that so?"

"Think about it. Even though they're characters, they're almost like real bodies. It's like having a roommate in real life. Wouldn't that be uncomfortable?"

"Hmm. Ah... Now that you mention it, you're right. I still think of it as a game. I still lack a sense of reality."

"Snap out of it. Anyway, I'm against it. Just get a small place and live alone."

Ridian smiled faintly at Hern.

She was only twenty, yet she was very mature for her age. Perhaps because of this, she instinctively reached out to pat Hern's head. It looked quite ridiculous because Hern was taller, but Ridian laughed mischievously.

"If it weren't for you, I might have been in big trouble."

"You need to be a bit more independent. My friend is a real egotist. I want to introduce you to him sometime. Hmm, but his personality might not match yours."

"Hearing about your friend makes me curious. Ah, but I need to stay here tonight too."

"Ah, I'm on the third floor. They say women are on the fourth floor. So, I'm telling you in advance, there are quite a few crazy guys who go hunting when the situation allows, so be careful..."

"Ah~ These crazy bastards! Do they really want to die?!"

Hern's voice was drowned out by the commotion of a group of men entering the tavern.

They burst in with loud laughter and sat down behind Ridian and Hern.

Hern, whose voice had been drowned out, frowned, and Ridian also looked uncomfortable. "Well, we've finished eating, so it's okay, right?" she asked, and Hern reluctantly nodded.

"Hey, did you hear? The second-ranked guild, the Sun Guild, is about to fall apart."

The player's voice lowered a bit, but it was still audible to Ridian and Hern, who were nearby. The player continued whispering, unaware.

"Know Morning Glory? The high-ranking Saint. The Sun guys praised her so much, I thought she was amazing. But after the transition, it turned out she was a complete fraud."

"Ah, I heard about her. She's the famous queen bee from the old days."

"But it turns out she was using someone else's photos. Crazy."

"She's a real disappointment. But how could anyone think of using someone else's photos in this day and age?"

"There must be a reason. And if she only scammed guild members, it's not a big deal... Anyway, it's because of this that the Sun Guild's atmosphere is terrible. If it were just her face, it would be one thing, but she used someone else's photos and acted like they were hers, so she deserves the hate."

"The guys who followed Morning Glory were shocked when they saw her in person. Is it true?"

"They say the gap is huge. From S-rank to F-rank? So she's now a nobody. No one talks to her. The guys who used to follow her are going into hiding. Especially the ones who gave her items are furious. They're trying to keep it quiet within the guild, but the rumor has already spread. They can't even kick her out because she's a high-ranking Saint. They're in a bind."

"Ha, it's hilarious. They boasted about being a visual guild, but it's a mess. In this crazy world, a crazy thing happened."

"But the leader of the Sun Guild, the Great General, is the real deal. Damn, she's a former model and a CEO. Have you seen her in person? Her proportions are insane. Being next to her is like being forced to play squid game. I knew she was a big deal from the guild forum, but I almost fell for her when I saw her in person... Her proportions are not human."

"I heard there are real celebrities in other guilds?"

"Who knows, it's just a rumor. Anyway, the Great General is the best. I almost took off my panties when I saw her at the guild castle yesterday."

"But her control is terrible. No matter how much money she spent, her control is very disappointing."

"Hey, the Great General is just the front. The vice-leader is the real deal. She's a great controller, at least in the game."

"How much does the Great General pay the vice-leader? I heard it's over 300,000 gold a month."

"Crazy. Even if it's 300,000 gold a month, I can't understand why someone would play someone else's character all day. They should play their own. Anyway, the guy who made the proxy tool should be beaten. How can he make something that tramples on hardworking people?"

"Ha, it's hilarious. The second-ranked guild, and look at their guild leader and members. The Legion might reclaim the second spot. And the ONE guild, I saw their guild leader in the square, and he was really cool."

"ONE has been famous for a long time. The Legion's shock was also significant. There's a magician named Flame Heart, who is really old? I've never seen an old player before."

"Me too. I was really surprised when I saw his face and ID. He's a real old man. I thought he was my grandfather. He's probably a chairman somewhere? His gear is amazing."

"Even the old man has good gear."

They laughed uncontrollably, holding their bellies. The tavern was noisy, but it was quite a burden to be sitting nearby.

Ridian finally signaled to Hern to get up. Hern, tired of the unpleasant conversation, sighed and stood up.

As they headed to the counter, a male player sitting behind them looked at Ridian and exclaimed, "Oh."

Coincidentally, they were far enough apart that they couldn't see each other's information windows.

"Wow, that person is a woman too."

"Who? What? Ridian? That Father Teresa? The muscular male character? Wow, it's Mother Teresa. Is that true? She had a completely old man image."

"An old man is at least normal. I thought she was a gay guy when I saw her wearing sunglasses and pink trunks in the village. Honestly, if she were from the ANG guild, I would believe it. But a woman? It's really shocking."

"Is she not playing an alternate character?"

A ridiculous nickname was mentioned. Ridian, her face flushed, hurriedly left her seat. She pushed Hern's back and frowned.

"What's with all the people who know my ID? Am I famous?"

"No, not really. Think about your character's appearance. That's a really unique customization. When you joined, you were naked with a pink swimming trunk... Your skin was probably tanned to a chocolate color, and you were wearing red-rimmed sunglasses. Wow, it was really intense."

Hern shivered.

"To be honest, I hesitated when I joined. I thought I was being kidnapped after drinking a strange drink. It's still terrifying to think about. And in this game, the Saint class is rare. At level 70, you're in the high-level range, and since you were so dedicated to service activities... The old players in Nord probably know you well, don't they?"

Ridian's face turned even redder as she heard the description of her character from the game days. She had never thought it was that strange. Maybe it was repulsive to others.

Ridian covered her red face with her hands and hurried to pay. Hern just looked at her with a bewildered expression.

Ridian was in the middle of reserving a room. Hern, remembering something, tapped her arm.

"Guild leader, do you want to go to Puding with me tomorrow?"

"Huh? Puding? Oh, the nest of Pukin?"

"Yes. It's a low-level hunting ground, but we might need to get used to combat. I'm low-level and scared to go alone... Since you're a high-level healer, it would be reassuring to go with you. It might be more convenient to go together rather than joining a large combat guild with many unknown people."

Hern's suggestion made sense. The reality of seeing the monsters from the game was a bit scary. Ridian swallowed hard and tensed up. It's something that has to be faced eventually. As the saying goes, it's better to get hit first to feel less pain.

'Well, at worst, I'll just die and lose 50 HP and MP.'

After much deliberation, Ridian finally accepted Hern's offer.