Tereza begins to explain: “You see, it’s actually been nearly a week since you went on that mission, pretty long, even by Realm standards—which is why I was kinda worried about you.”


    “Anyway, Rishi paid a huge sum of money to dig up more information about the Realm from other players who’ve reached the main area of the Realm. It’s really hard to get solid info since the Realm actively works to prevent that. Your acquaintance… Roja, right? Apparently, she got an extremely rare and unique item, an invitation that gives her access to way more information about the Realm,” Tereza continues.


    “After spending a fortune, Rishi managed to track down a player who’d completely given up on ever escaping the Realm and was expecting to die on his next mission. In exchange for a large sum of money, that guy spilled some valuable information before the Realm forcefully ‘disposed’ of him.”


    “Of course,” Tereza adds, “Rishi used his many ‘employees’ for that. He’d never dirty his own hands or risk interfering with the Realm directly. That guy is a real-life Mafia don. His company is super sketchy. We’re just lucky he’s on our side.”


    “I’m not doubting that at all. That guy is the scariest person I’ve ever met, way scarier than you,” Alex replies, remembering Rishi’s terrifying methods, especially how he uses contracts to bend people to his will.


    “What’s that supposed to mean?” Tereza snaps, looking insulted.


    “Heh, you’re quite rude to this lovely lady, aren’t you, Alex? I feel sorry for her!” Menchi chimes in at the worst possible time, clearly enjoying the chaos.


    “Whatever. That’s not important right now,” Alex says, brushing off their bickering. “So, Rishi found out something? What is it, and why is he gone?”


    “Well,” Tereza begins to explain, “it looks like the step from level 4 to level 5 is similar in difficulty to the tutorial mission. In other words: the next mission will be extremely risky. Even if you’re strong, there could be circumstances that cause you to fail… and die. By now, we all know that strength isn’t everything. Missions are about accomplishing your objectives, not just blindly flexing your strength.”


    “I know,” Alex says, nodding. “During my mission, I had to pass the Hunter Exam, and strength alone sure as hell wasn’t enough!”


    “Hmph, of course! A true hunter needs to be smart, cunning, skilled, and wise. Like me! Strength is important, but it’s not everything!” Menchi adds with a smug look.


    “Wow, so you really had to take the Hunter Exam, huh? And you passed it? Congratulations, I guess,” Tereza says. “Anyway, Rishi had another one of his ‘visions’...”


    “Now I get it,” Alex says, suddenly understanding. “His vision probably showed him a viable path forward. He trusts them with religious zeal—he’d bet his life on his visions. Hell, he gave me 50,000 FC just to get to know me, all because of one of his visions.”


    “Exactly,” Tereza confirms. “Anyway, he said he saw a huge opportunity—that’s what he called it. To move forward with it, he needed to get to level 4 as well, so he went ahead and bought the next available mission item that let him join a mission early. It was such a quick decision; he didn’t even tell me the details.”


    Satisfied with her explanations, Alex says, “I see… well, he should be back soon then. What about your next mission? You still have a bit of time, right? Come to think of it, after Rishi is back, we’ll all be level 4. Might consider teaming up again? Let’s talk about it once he returns. Anyway, it’s good to be back in the Realm. I have a lot of work to do… oh, and here, a little gift.”


    Alex hands Tereza two vials of [Two-Headed Black Eel Poisonous Blood] and his newly acquired [Ben’s Knife].


    “...”


    Tereza stares at the [Ben’s Knife] in complete silence, her expression a mix of awe and obsession. It’s as if she’s uncovered the greatest secret of the universe. Without saying a word, she strokes the knife lovingly, then kisses it—and even licks it. S~ea??h the ηovёlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    “Yeah, Rishi’s a bit crazier than you… just a little bit, though. You and your obsession with knives is incredible,” Alex comments, shaking his head.


    Menchi, on the other hand, bursts out laughing. She doesn’t seem to mind Tereza’s behavior and even adds, “I love my knives like that too! Of course, they’re mostly used for cooking. I remember playing with mine a lot when Linne gifted them to me. That’s normal girl behaviour Alex, you should mind your own business.”


    “How about you two lunatics keep playing with your knives, and I’ll go handle my business, huh?” Alex says, thinking to himself,


    To his surprise, the two women immediately start chatting with each other, enthusiastically showing off their knives.


    “See you later, then!” Alex says as he walks off. The two women only wave at him absentmindedly, too absorbed in their knife discussion to care.


    “...”


    Before Alex can check his status, a message pops up.


    [Tereza: Thank you <3 I’ll personally thank you later…]


    Alex thinks, shaking his head.


    Alex continues to plan his actions while slowly walking to the central square of the Realm.