When Ren carefully carried the result of his cooking out of the small kitchen, his acquaintances were already gathered there, and the atmosphere seemed to be a bit more lively because of it.
However, besides the faces that were all too familiar and friendly, such as Yuzu, Rock, and Cherry, Ren's eyes were immediately drawn to a strange guest.
A player dressed entirely in black, with a cloak and gloves covering him from head to toe, was quietly enjoying a hot cup of tea in a secluded corner not too far away. The faint steam from the tea made the person's appearance even more elusive.
It was Kiri… Kirito.
Sensing Ren's scrutinizing gaze, Kirito slowly set the porcelain tea cup down on the table—a small sound, yet enough to momentarily quiet the space—then nodded slightly, a gesture that seemed to hold a long-intended meaning.
Leaving Hina, Yuzu, Rock, and Cherry a look for permission.
Without hesitation, Ren placed the plate he was holding on the nearest wooden shelf, then strode decisively toward the player in black.
"How did you manage to find this secluded place?" Ren asked, pulling up a chair beside him and sitting down naturally, but his eyes never left the figure opposite.
Ren knew clearly that Kirito's intention in coming here was not random, but precisely to find him. Given his level and personality, Kirito would never wander aimlessly in such a rarely traveled area, and certainly wouldn't appear here by coincidence. His presence, it seemed, was a necessary arrangement.
"Yes," Kirito confirmed, his voice deep, slightly hoarse, and completely straightforward. "My purpose in seeking out this place… is precisely to find you. Only Argo, 'The Information Broker,' could provide coordinates this discreet."
He took a very slight breath, then slowly let it out, a gesture as if carefully arranging every word he was about to speak.
That confirmation didn't surprise Ren, but he still felt an invisible pressure weighing down the air. The intent was clear; now it was just a matter of the problem itself.
"So," Ren asked, focusing all his attention on the person opposite, "The strategy meeting has concluded, and everyone has decided the timing for the upcoming Floor Boss attack?"
Kirito briefly nodded, but then immediately shook his head slightly, more definitively. His eyes looked straight at Ren, deep and serious.
"Yes… but at the same time, no." He paused for a moment, waiting for absolute silence from his listener. "This time, we absolutely will not attack the boss according to the usual rules. The plan has changed… completely."
"Ren… do you trust me?"
Kirito asked, his voice heavy, as if he had just swallowed a sharp stone. It was a question that came out at the wrong time, off-topic, and completely strayed from any strategic logic they were discussing.
The pitch-black eyes beneath his fringe were no longer the familiar calm void, but something compressed, making his pupils seem to tremble, shaking subtly.
Ren paused for half a second. Although it was a very brief moment, it was enough for him to grasp the level of crisis in the question.
His eyebrow twitched slightly, a minimalist movement but sufficient to show how weighty the question was.
"…I guess you trusted me enough to seek me out in this hideout."
Ren's voice was low and steady, neither subdued nor weak.
"Then… is there any reason for me to let you down?"
Ren spoke each word slowly and surely, as if setting firm stones onto a cold foundation.
Kirito flinched slightly, perhaps completely unprepared for Ren to answer so quickly, so frankly and decisively.
Ren looked at Kirito more closely. The slight head tilt, the calculating, half-closed gaze… all signaled to Ren that Kirito was serious to an abnormal degree. The tension, almost cracking, enveloped the dark silhouette. It was even more serious than the moment standing before a growling Floor Boss.
'I planned to return to the front lines in a few days… but it looks like that plan has to be moved up much sooner.'
The thought slid through Ren's mind like a cold electrical circuit.
Kirito opened his mouth. A moment of hesitation stretched into an eternity. The words seemed stuck between his lips, perhaps an explanation carrying a secret worry that he was unaccustomed to sharing.
Ren raised his hand to stop him, the motion so decisive that the wind seemed to pause for a beat, not daring to blow through.
"Wait."
His voice was silent like steel.
"The plan… later."
He slightly turned his body, gesturing toward the kitchen, where a faint light flickered behind the thin evening mist.
"First, let me say goodbye to a few friends."
The corner of Ren's lips stretched out very slightly, a rare moment of relief amid the thick, suffocating atmosphere.
"They are the ones who opened this diner… and keep it warm every day."
He exhaled, his thin white breath quickly dissolving in the cold air.
"If you have a chance, bring Asuna to try it. The food here is unbelievably delicious."
Ren finished speaking and walked straight away. His shoulders trembled slightly from the cold… or from something heavier that Kirito didn't know.
But what Kirito knew for sure was: Ren had chosen to trust him without hesitation, without asking for a reason.
And that made Kirito's step, for the first time all evening, miss a beat on the cold stone floor.
Kirito waited at the doorway. The moment didn't last long, but it was enough for silence to envelop his figure, his slightly thin frame tightly clad in the Midnight Jacket.
After a gentle ring of the wind chime, the door was pushed open. The warmth rushed out of the diner like a sudden stream, escaping into the cold air, like playful children curious about the vast world outside.
Kirito remained distracted, his mind deeply drawn into an invisible stream of thought. Growing anxieties swelled within him, spreading like foam in a calm ocean.
Then, a hand as white as porcelain gently rested on his shoulder, the weight just enough to startle him awake from the overwhelming stray thoughts.
"Alright, let's go," Ren's soft but decisive voice sounded right beside him. "Ah, but before that, I need to go to the Dark Elf Camp on Floor Three to repair my equipment."
Kirito nodded, his eyes having regained their focus. "Agreed. I also have some important things to tell you, before we officially gather with the other players."
…
After the two of them reached the Dark Elf Encampment nestled on Floor Three, a small chaotic scene nearly erupted.
Just seeing the sorry state of the armor Ren brought:
[Blacksteel Prototype][Durability: 233/620]
Sylen, the muscular Dark Elf blacksmith, flew into a rage. He nearly swung his giant Forging Hammer to crush Ren right then and there.
Sylen had only given his most cherished creation to Ren a mere few short days ago, and now, the armor was practically shattered by him, with tragic claw marks and sections of metal stripped and corroded. For a true blacksmith with high self-respect like Sylen, seeing his masterpiece violated like this was no different than witnessing a sinner destroying a sacred relic. He was genuinely ready to risk his life against Ren.
Fortunately, Kirito was there.
Thanks to the Black Swordsman's timely intervention, an unfortunate incident… which could have led to unnecessary murder, did not happen.
Sitting down on a familiar long log placed near the forge, Ren began listening to Kirito while waiting for Sylen to vent his anger and repair the armor. The lively sound of the hammer striking metal echoed as a busy backdrop for the story about to be told.
"Do you remember the tense confrontation between the two major guilds when we were still on this Floor Three?" Kirito started, his eyes looking distant, as if arranging every memory and word in his head.
Ren said nothing, only nodding slightly, accepting the fact that everything began in the past.
Kirito sighed, the fatigue showing through every muscle in his face. "You also know that I was absent then because I was busy entertaining an uninvited guest…"
His voice dropped significantly, almost a whisper towards the end, carrying obvious contempt.
"So…" Ren cut in, his voice surprisingly calm, as if he had already anticipated the other person's entire thought process. "You came to me because you were worried that person would once again ruin the fragile unity that was just established within the front line… specifically during this conquest of the Floor Five Boss?"
"Yes," Kirito nodded decisively, accepting Ren's sharp deduction. "A few days ago, during a seemingly accidental but highly dangerous quest, Asuna and I were attacked by them… and we managed to guess part of their plan."
"How far along is that plan?" Ren asked, his voice no longer maintaining absolute calmness, but mixed with a slight, indescribable mix of emotions.
Kirito leaned forward, touching the rough log, his eyes heavy.
"The worst part… The ALS Guild is attempting a reckless attack; they are trying to monopolize the boss alone without any accompaniment or support from any other front-line group."
He paused, taking a deep breath and suppressing his discomfort. "All aimed at a single objective…"
"The drop reward from the Floor Boss," Ren continued slowly, as if savoring the bitterness of the truth, "it seems… that thing is valuable enough… that it will completely change the balance of power and status, to elevate one of the two current guilds to an absolute leading position…"
Kirito nodded in confirmation, then shook his head slightly with deep despair.
"The saddest thing is…" His voice grew softer and softer, as if unwilling to believe what he was about to say. "The Dragon Knights Brigade, the guild supposed to be the most principled, has also harbored a similar idea. Both want to gamble the lives of all players to seize personal gain."