"Seriously, is that even possible?"
Although Ryuji wasn't particularly interested in Dungeon Fighter Online's lore, there was one thing he did know—anyone who could undergo a class advancement was already at the level of a professional. And those who were granted the title of "Awakened" had all broken past the limits of ordinary humans, understood the core of their being, and were definitely not weaklings.
Except for a few oddball cases—like Male Fighter. Those didn't really count.
After all, male fighters were much worse off than their female counterparts.
"Well, she told me a few months ago she was short on cash. Something to do with her body. So yeah, I think she's really strapped for money!"
The female fighter nodded earnestly as she explained, clearly convinced of her own logic. When she noticed the skeptical look on Ryuji's face, she gave him a hard slap on the shoulder.
"Anyway, just trust me!"
"I don't even know your name. Why the hell would I trust you…"
He covered his face with a sigh. What was supposed to be a noble act of gratitude had somehow spiraled into this mess—and he was certain this chaotic woman beside him was the reason.
He liked to think of himself as a brooding, deep, hardcore kind of protagonist. So why was it that everyone he met turned out to be this unreliable?
He really wanted to ask the universe that question.
"Name's Galina! Future queen of poisons!"
With a fierce grin, the female brawler jabbed her thumb into her own chest with a dramatic flair, showcasing a cleavage-deep crater that was... admittedly pretty enticing.
"I'm Nakamura Ryuji… Yeah, whatever."
He couldn't even muster the energy to retort anymore. In fact, all of Galina's wild talk about her "friend" didn't spark any inappropriate thoughts—he actually found himself intrigued by grapplers instead.
He'd always liked playing grappler in DFO. It was just a shame that the class had fallen out of meta. Even with updates, it never really recovered, and no one played it anymore.
And as expected… things went sideways.
"Ah… well, this is awkward."
Sitting atop a shipping container was a short-haired woman with a well-built, curvy figure clad in a skin-tight wrestling suit. She looked a little shy, scratching her cheek with a finger before speaking with a helpless smile.
"I did tell her I needed money, but it's not that desperate… It's actually about my body. I've reached the limit of my physical potential, so I wanted to reverse the effects of the muscle-bone enhancers I used back when I was desperate to become a grappler. I rushed things back then. Now, I want to reach the next level without relying on drugs anymore, so I've been saving up. But that doesn't mean I'm out here selling my body. And I'm not ready to get married and have kids either."
She glanced at Ryuji, her smile still polite but definitely a little awkward.
"So, uh… maybe forget whatever she told you."
It was true that some grapplers—whether rising stars or apprentices—ended up seducing wealthy patrons when they ran out of funds. Their mastery of grappling techniques, especially waist and leg maneuvers, made them incredibly… versatile.
Take the "Hell's Cradle" technique, for instance. On an enemy, it was a deadly finisher. But used in bed? It was a relentless barrage of sex with the woman-on-top.
Legend says few could survive it.
She wasn't into that sort of thing, but she knew the stories. Not everyone pursued martial arts like her. Most just wanted a skill, a means to compete or make money. If selling their bodies gave them financial stability and physical satisfaction, why not?
But the money she needed wasn't something a sugar daddy could fix.
Never mind the cost of the reversal serum without side effects—just the rehab while her body weakened, the downtime from being unable to fight, and the cost if she had to reinject a stronger enhancer... it all added up.
She could afford one of those steps. Not all. That's why she'd casually mentioned being short on money during a mission with Galina.
But she wasn't planning to sell herself. And Ryuji didn't exactly look rich. So she'd quickly shut the whole thing down.
"Huh? So how much do you actually need?"
Galina's expression twitched. She thought the grappler was starving or something. As someone from the brawler scene, she didn't care much about the grappler community.
Actually, to be precise—
Brawlers didn't get along with anyone.
They looked down on every other martial art school and even fought among themselves. But the ones they despised the most… were still other brawlers.
"Twenty, maybe thirty thousand gold."
The woman known as Eye of the Storm gave a calm reply. And Ryuji noticed that the moment she said it, Galina beside him started breathing a whole lot faster.
"Tw… Twenty or thirty thousand?!"
Galina gawked at her, mouth hanging open.
"Yup. And that's with favors pulled and discounts from connections. Norton owes me a big one."
'Eye of the Storm' nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Then she looked at Galina with concern.
"Anyway, you okay? Last time we teamed up, you were coughing up blood."
"I'm fine. Anyway, if you're not interested, forget I said anything. I'm leaving."
"Huh? Not staying a bit longer?"
"Your people don't like me."
"Well…"
Galina fell silent. Remembering how she once went to fight in illegal matches over ten gold worth of medicine, she suddenly felt incredibly foolish.
Still… even if she could turn back time, she knew she wouldn't have asked this grappler for help.
Brawlers rely on no one but themselves!
What kind of brawler borrows money?!
"Come on. I'm taking you to someone else!"
Embarrassed and flustered, Galina quickly grabbed Ryuji's hand and pulled him out of the dojo. He said nothing and followed.
He was honestly curious now—what kind of chaos was this brawler going to drag him into next?
However…
"If you mess around one more time, I will go back to handling my real business."
He looked at the pink neon sign of the pub up ahead and turned to Galina with a serious warning.
He really didn't have time to waste.
~~~~~~~~
Bonus chapter target: 300 PS.