Old Comrades and a New Purpose
Evening gradually settled over Salia City.
The orange sky cast a warm glow across the neatly lined wooden buildings. In the distance, the silhouettes of forests filled with Mostro decorated the horizon, creating a peaceful and tranquil view.
Guild TEMPLAR had now been officially established.
With the guild in place, they no longer needed to remain in the same party at all times. The guild system allowed every member to share Main Quest progress as long as they had not advanced beyond certain checkpoints. Because of that, Reina deliberately kept everyone's Main Quest at Quest 1—helping the beggar collect ten Turnips.
"Anyone who hasn't completed the Beggar Quest, finish it up to this point first," Reina instructed.
Everyone nodded.
While they completed the introductory quest, Lisa posted a Guild Broadcast.
Guild TEMPLAR is now recruiting.
Requirements: Minimum Level 100 and the determination to complete the Main Quest.
It didn't take long.
The announcement immediately attracted the attention of many players.
Guild TEMPLAR's membership grew from thirteen to twenty.
The seven new members represented various jobs, including Warriors, Knights, Mages, Clerics, and Craftmen.
Several of them were even veteran players who recognized the name Guild TEMPLAR from the days of Cosmic Online.
However, the broadcast also caught the attention of someone they never expected.
Jack01.
The moment he saw the guild's name, memories from the past came rushing back.
Guild TEMPLAR...
The guild that had once been led by Rein4.
Over the next several days, Jack01 quietly gathered information.
Every member of Guild TEMPLAR he encountered was asked the same question.
"Is there a player named Rein4 in your guild?"
No one knew that name.
Until he eventually met Aventura.
"Our Guild Master is XOXO," Aventura replied.
Hearing that name, Jack01 fell silent in thought.
That night, Reina received a message.
Jack01:
Can we meet?
In front of the Colosseum.
Reina stared at the message for a long time.
She hesitated.
But her curiosity ultimately won.
She sent a brief reply.
Alright.
The next day...
In front of Belio City's Colosseum, two figures stood facing each other.
A Rogue with twin daggers hanging from her waist.
And a Warrior wearing luxurious, gleaming armor.
"So..." Reina said coldly.
"What did you want to talk about?"
Unlike his usual self, Jack01 showed none of his former arrogance.
Instead, he looked exhausted.
"I almost died."
Reina frowned slightly.
Jack01 continued.
"A few days ago, I entered a match in the Colosseum."
"I was overconfident because of my level and equipment."
"But I was defeated by a player who had far more experience."
"If it hadn't been for a Cleric from Guild TEMPLAR healing me..."
"...I probably would've died."
Reina's expression became serious.
"So..."
"If you die in this world..."
"...you really die?"
Jack01 nodded slowly.
"Several players have already died in the Colosseum."
"They've never appeared again."
"Not at Belio's Altar."
"Not anywhere else."
"It looks like they've disappeared... permanently."
Reina fell silent.
That information was far more valuable than she had expected.
"There's no way to bring them back?"
"There is."
"But it's almost impossible."
Jack01 began explaining.
"The only item capable of reviving the dead is Revival Water."
"The problem is..."
"No Craftman possesses the recipe."
Reina became interested.
"How do you obtain it?"
Jack01 sighed.
"A Craftman must travel to the giant gravestone inside Esmen Mine Cave."
"Then sacrifice a Level 100 weapon enhanced to +9."
"After that, they must defeat the Ghost of Warrior until it drops the Revival Water Manual."
"If you're lucky, it drops on the first kill."
"If not..."
"You'll have to defeat the Boss over and over again."
"And the Craftman must fight alone—they can't be in a party."
"If the manual is obtained, the gravestone unlocks five material slots."
"One Crystal."
"One Ruby."
"One Diamond."
"One Fairy Tear."
"And one Level 100 weapon enhanced to +9."
"Only then can Revival Water be crafted."
"The problem is..."
"No one has ever discovered where Fairy Tears drop."
Reina rested a hand on her chin.
"So..."
"Because there are so few Craftmen..."
"...the chances of someone being revived are almost zero."
Jack01 nodded.
"Exactly."
Reina sank into thought.
"That makes sense..."
"We can't create new characters anymore."
"Everyone only has one life."
Silence returned.
A few moments later, Reina looked up.
"Then..."
"Why were you looking for me?"
Jack01 met her gaze.
"I've been searching for Rein4."
"Is she in Guild TEMPLAR?"
The moment she heard that name, Reina felt her chest tighten again.
Yet her expression remained calm.
"I used to be Rein4's friend."
Jack01 looked directly at her.
Reina's voice turned sharp.
"You were a real bastard."
"You know that?"
"Rein4 was devastated after what happened."
Jack01 lowered his head.
He didn't argue.
"I was."
"I ended up marrying the woman who caught us that day."
"I was an idiot."
"I never imagined Rein4 would actually fly all the way to Singapore."
"I only met her because I wanted to apologize..."
"...and explain that I already had someone in my life."
"But..."
"She left before I had the chance to explain anything."
His voice trembled.
"I miss my wife."
"And my two children."
Reina quietly studied his face.
Then she realized that countless other players were probably carrying the same pain.
Missing their parents.
Their friends.
Their loved ones back in the real world.
Reina herself had lost her parents long ago.
She was also an introvert who had never had many close friends.
She didn't feel that same overwhelming homesickness.
She looked back at Jack01.
The arrogant man she had once despised was gone.
All that remained...
...was a father who had lost his family.
Jack01 let out a long sigh.
"I used to dream of becoming the number one player."
"But after nearly dying in the Colosseum..."
"...I realized none of that matters."
"I don't even know what I'm supposed to do anymore."
Reina remained silent for a long time.
Slowly, the resentment she had carried for years began to fade.
Finally, she let out a quiet breath.
"Jack..."
Jack01 looked up.
"I..."
"...am Rein4."
Jack01's eyes widened.
"Reina...?"
She nodded gently.
"Yes."
Silence fell once again.
After several moments, Jack01 bowed deeply.
"I'm sorry."
"I'm truly sorry."
Reina smiled faintly.
"Forget it."
"That's all in the past."
"What matters now..."
"...is that we're both trapped in this world."
Jack01 returned her smile.
"In that case..."
"May I join Guild TEMPLAR?"
"I want to complete the Main Quest with all of you."
Reina nodded without hesitation.
"Of course."
"But there's one condition."
Jack01 smiled.
"What is it?"
"Finish the Beggar Quest first."
"After that..."
"I'm closing guild recruitment."
"From then on, we'll focus entirely on the Main Quest."
Jack01 chuckled.
"Deal."
Not long afterward...
Guild TEMPLAR officially welcomed its twenty-first member.
But the surprises weren't over yet.
The moment Jack01 officially joined, he opened the Guild Bank.
Everyone who happened to have the guild menu open froze.
One item after another began filling the Guild Bank.
10 Diamonds.
20 Crystals.
15 Rubies.
Various Armor Manuals, Weapon Manuals, and Accessory Manuals followed.
Almost every member stared in disbelief.
Then a message appeared in Guild Chat.
Jack01:
Hello, everyone.
I hope these items will help Guild TEMPLAR continue to grow.
I've seen many guilds in this world.
Most of them only care about becoming the strongest.
But this guild is different.
You have a clear purpose.
From this day forward...
I want to complete the Main Quest together with all of you.
Guild Chat instantly filled with replies.
Welcome!
Thank you!
Glad to have you with us!
The atmosphere inside Guild TEMPLAR grew even warmer.
Meanwhile, in another corner of Salia City...
Yukio smiled broadly as he opened the Guild Bank.
His eyes sparkled at the mountain of materials now filling the guild's storage.
"Looks like..."
"...I'm going to be even busier."