It didn't take long for the staff to present the food on the table for them to eat.
Well, for the most part, only the people who had just joined the table ordered something to eat; the rest chose to just get some extra drinks.
Kai, immediately after getting his food, decided to dig into it.
The huge thigh-shaped meat at the side of the rice was the first to go into his mouth, then it was followed by the soup, soaked with long weeds that were supposedly edible.
'Fuck. This is so good!!!'
One by one he began to eat whatever was placed in front of him.
Though he made sure to eat the food with respect and orderliness, the amount of food he stuffed down his throat was still abnormal to the people watching.
Alex, as always, was the first to point that out.
"Whoa there, big guy, aren't you eating a bit too much there? If you keep going, you'll get sick, and your health bar will definitely reduce."
Kai paused, still chewing on his meat as he turned his gaze to Alex.
'Health bar? Oh, right, that thing.'
He looked to the side, where he could see the status bar of the current party he was in.
[Party 1 - Sofia]
[Health: 100/100]
[Level: 8]
[Status: High (Stable)]
[Party 2 - Lyra]
[Health: Hidden]
[Level: 19]
[Status: High (Stable)]
[Party 3 - You]
[Health: Hidden]
[Level: 23]
[Status: High (Stable)]
His expression relaxed a bit.
'Good, it's still there.'
In addition to Kai changing Lyra's dress in order to fit in with the crowd, he also had to do the same to their general stats since, upon seeing it, one would immediately tell they were not normal.
After all, having a Level 999 roaming about the street was the last thing anyone wanted to see in a starter town.
Luckily, he was able to do so by acquiring the [Status Hack] blessing from the dungeon, which basically allowed him to manipulate his stats and his subordinates' as he wished.
However, he could only change a single thing, which was their levels. Their health bar and every other thing was not something he could mess with.
Which led to him having to hide it.
Lyra being a Level 19 and having a health bar of 900,000 was straight up no different from her real level being exposed.
Kai sighed.
'Good, the health bar is still in place.'
To anyone else, it would simply look like a bar of health with no number, and no one would question it since people hide their health bars all the time for PVP reasons.
Just as Kai was about to take another bite of food into his mouth, the whale of the team, Leo, decided to slap him with a question.
"So which starter town did you come from?"
Kai paused. He was definitely not expecting anyone to interview him, at least not while he was eating.
He glanced to the side, immediately trying to find answers.
"You said you were from a far distant land. Why did you leave your former region and come all the way to Ramosa? I know the Rambosa Region is huge, though, so were you from this region?"
'Shit. This is why nobody likes whales.'
Kai looked to the other side, and Lyra didn't seem the least bit concerned.
All she was doing was drinking the cup of wine in front of her and chowing down on the fruits with elegant indifference.
"I simply chose the wrong town when I entered the game. I wanted to face that 'Shadow Victim' guy, so I traveled all the way here and lost a bit of money too."
That was his response. Simple. Believable.
"I see. Instead of doing that, couldn't you have gone to the high-level city there and used their Teleportation Crystal? As long as it is within the same region, you will definitely arrive at your destination."
Kai immediately clapped back.
"This world is huge; what would be the fun in that if I can't see it all for myself?"
'Teleportation crystal? Is that support to be outside or inside the city?' Kai sighed internally.
Silence settled around the table for a while.
Then the Archer voiced out.
"Hahaha! I've met different types of people since logging into the game, so I'm not too surprised by this. Whatever works for you, man."
The rest laughed along, instantly bringing back the good vibes.
'Ah good, they bought it. Multiple cities in Rambosa, huh... that just piques my curiosity even more.' Kai thought to himself, shoving food into his mouth.
"Say, since you're new here, should I take it as you intend to join a guild or party?"
Kai looked at Alex.
"Pardon?"
"So I'll take that as a no. Why don't you come team up with us? We actually have a killer quest that pays a lot of Cens, I'm telling you. The Boss guarding the quest is a Level 56, that is too high for someone like us." Alex continued.
"We heard from previous players that had completed the quest that they were able to rake in about 800,000 Cens worth from completing the quest."
Kai sat up straight.
"And you need my help to pull the quest off? You are a complete team already; why add extra? I understand the Boss being stronger, but adding someone as weak as me isn't going to change much, is it?"
"That is true…" Sofia clutched her staff tight, a sad look on her face. "I was the one that suggested it, since I wanted you to go on a raid with me."
'Suggested it? When?' Kai raised a brow.
Lyra had a frown on her face, solely focused on Sofia alone.
Kai looked at Sofia, then at Alex, who had a hopeful glint in his eye. He was acutely aware of Lyra's silent, intense gaze fixed on Sofia, a tension that seemed to go unnoticed by the others.
A quest worth 800,000 Cens, which was a substantial amount of in-game currency, certainly enough to make his "lost money" story more believable.
"It's not just about the strength, Kai," the Archer chimed in, leaning forward.
"We are basically asking for another set of eyes. We've got the healing and the damage, but we lack a dedicated tank or someone who can handle unexpected situations. And frankly, your attitude back there, traveling all the way just to see the world. That shows a certain grit. We need grit."
Alex nodded enthusiastically.
"Exactly! Look, we're not asking you to carry us. We're asking you to cover a blind spot. Plus, we split the reward evenly. That's more than 100,000 Cens minimum just for showing up. Think about it. You just lost a ton of money traveling here, right? This is the quickest way to get it back and then some."
Kai chewed the last piece of his meat, thoughtfully wiping his mouth with a napkin provided by the staff.
The logic was sound from their perspective.
They saw a high-level adventurer who had just thrown caution to the wind for a challenge, yet was currently crippled by a low starting level.
He could accept, play the role of the capable but under-leveled newcomer, and secure a significant amount of currency without revealing his true power.
More importantly, it provided him with a legitimate in-game reason for his presence and a temporary party to blend in with.
He glanced at Lyra, who was simply still chewing on her food.
He put the napkin down and sighed, a calculated show of reluctance.
"A Level 56 Boss is still pretty tough. You really think I can make a difference?"
Sofia's face brightened immediately.
"Of course, you can! We wouldn't ask otherwise. Please, Kai. We need you."
"Yeah, come on, big guy! We'll explain the plan after dinner," Alex urged.
Kai leaned back in his chair, a small, knowing smirk playing on his lips as he considered the massive gulf between their expectations and the reality of his power.
This was going to be an easy 100,000 Cens.
He took a final swig of his drink, setting the glass down with a decisive clink.
"Alright," he said, meeting Alex's eager gaze. "Tell me about this 'killer quest."
...
[A/M]
Character art for Kai and Lyra are out; if you want to vote for them, please do. Thamk you.