The Mayor's house wasn't that hard to find. It was the most prominent house at the far end north, sitting on a small hill. The two-story mansion was huge, and it was barricaded with white bricks and iron gates. There were also guards stationed at every meter or so.

Face-to-face with the house, I didn't know what to do after. It was getting dark, and I doubted that the Mayor would see any visitor at this point in time. Nevertheless, I still tried my luck.

"Hi. My name's Cross, and I'm a player. Can I speak with the Mayor?"

The four guards stationed at the gate looked at each other before they looked me under the bridge of their noses like I was a piece of ant that bit them and wanted to squeeze and roll between the pad of their fingers to death.

I shrunk under their intimidating gaze and cleared my throat. I think they didn't hear me when they didn't even open their mouth.

"Uhm . . . Can I speak–"

"Get lost!" one of the guard yelled.

I jumped on my toes from fright.

"The Mayor is already resting. Come back tomorrow," another said.

"It's important," I insisted in a serious voice.

One of them sneered. "That's always what players say. Get lost before we decide to throw you in jail."

Shooing me away with their weapons, I could do nothing but obey and turn back as I thought of my next move. My [Evils Halo] must have made the guards turned hostile towards me even though I asked them nicely.

System, you said that players were sought after.

Great!

Since I didn't have anything to do but wait, I decided to go to the inn to pass the time.

It was beginning to get dark, and most of the inhabitants were closing their doors. Upon sighting me, they frowned and batted their eyelids. While some players shrieked from fear brought by my mask.

I didn't do anything. But it felt like I had killed their family or something from the way they looked at me with their hateful gazes.

Was it just because of the [Evil Halo]?

It was a good day to be me!

I basked in self-despair, entered the inn, and proceeded to get a room to pass the night. However, I wasn't hopeful since I only had 1000 gil with me.

"How much for a room?" I asked and secretly prayed to every God I knew to make the room reasonable, even for just this day. Even for just this night.

However, at this moment in time, I was slapped in the face at the reality that there was no God when the innkeeper said an exorbitant price.

"Our regular rooms are full. There's only the luxury room left. That would be ten thousand gil."

I was hoping that he was joking, but the seriousness of his face told me otherwise.

Guess who was not going to sleep tonight?

Resigned to my fate, I opted to go to the nearest pub instead to pass the night. Hopefully, a beer could make my troubles go away.

I needed a peace of mind, even if it was just an hour.

". . ."

I had nothing to refute that since it was right.

I sighed and entered a building that had a 'Pub' painted on its wooden board hanging on a lamppost.

The noise, rowdy inhabitants, and players didn't shock me. I welcomed the noise and the smell of lingering liquor in the air, as well as the smelly sweats and strong perfumes.

I got to the far-end table, away from the crowd, and asked the waitress the cost of a single ram.

The waitress batted her eyelids before saying in a harsh voice, "Fifty gil. But for you, I'll make it a hundred with free spit on the side."

Augh . . . Never mind. I went up and ordered a cup of mead at the counter. At least the bartender served it to me without any spit. However, I have to pay him two hundred gil just to get it.

I was about to go back to my table when I noticed that someone was already sitting there and when our eyes met, he smiled and waved at me to come.

It felt strange and . . . good at the same time. At least someone was being friendly with me after receiving a series of curses and glares.

After making sure that he was no threat using [Evils Eyes], I went to the guy.

"Hey. The name's Dolor," he introduced with a wide smile. Though he was shaking a bit. It must be the effect of the mask.

His teeth were crooked, and a little buckled forward. His jaw was square, sprinkled with stubbles. He looked like he was in his mid or late thirties with his medium size build.

Looking at his stats in the fifties, I would confidently say that he came here months before me.

"Cross," I said and sat across him.

"Are you here to participate in the tournament too?"

I didn't know what to say since I hadn't figured it out. "I honestly don't know." 𝒃𝙚𝙙𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝒍．𝒏𝒆𝒕

Dolor didn't even knit his brows, and his smile still remained on his face. "When did you arrive here? And where did you get the mask? If you don't mind me asking."

I thought for a moment. Surely there was nothing wrong if I told him. My ATP was higher than his, and if ever he tried something funny, he wouldn't succeed.

"I arrived about a week ago. And . . . I got the mask as a drop from some beast."

Dolor's eyes went wide. "You're still new then!"

I nodded.

"Me? I arrived in this hell hole after ten months." Dolor chugged a big cup of ram in one gulped and sighed. "This place is the worst, but they have the best ram."

"Is there . . . is there a way to get back in our world?" I said after a brief silence.

Dolor sighed and shook his head. "You heard that voice when we first arrived here? We could only return to earth if we defeat the final Boss."

The final Boss? "Who is the final Boss?" I asked.

Dolor looked at the others before he leaned and stared me in the eyes. I couldn't avert my gaze from his dark poles like he was hypnotizing me.

He then whispered, voice guttural, "No one knows, but every player thinks that it is this world. That's why the Allied Kingdom is doing everything in their power to conquer Nordlands."

"I . . . I see . . ." I didn't know what to think. If that were the case, then they might be stuck in this world forever.

It would be fine if there was only one common enemy . . . but the entire world?

I only shook my head and gulped my beer. Dolor and I talked some more, and I admitted that I missed that feeling of talking to someone. It had only been two days, but it felt like two years.

I was in the middle of drinking when my vision suddenly went blurry. That was odd because I only drank one cup. Not even one bottle. Though I wasn't an avid drinker, I knew my limits, and one cup of ram shouldn't have made me drunk.

"Y . . . kay?"

I couldn't hear what Dolor was saying anymore, and he seemed to . . . triple in my view.

And before I knew it, I slumped dead on the table and didn't know what happened next.