Chapter 36
ONE MONTH LATER!
It had been a full, whole month since Zen joined the Silverfall Clan and went on his first dungeon raid. He couldn't forget that day or the rewards he gained because that was also the first time he leveled up, and the stats he received were impressive.
The memory of that moment kept replaying in his mind, making him both proud and determined.
Ever since then, he occasionally participated in raids. Be it dungeon raids, portal breaches, or other minor quests, Zen always took part in them. He didn't go for any quest higher than D rank, knowing his limits and unwilling to risk more than he could handle.
Sometimes he went alone, testing his skills quietly. Other times, he joined clan members, blending into the team as he slowly learned how to navigate the world around him.
Gradually, the clan began accepting him as one of their own instead of just an errand boy.
During this time, Zen hadn't seen any high-rankers, the clan master, or even Jace. Even with the others warming up to him, he remained paranoid, unsure who was a real player and who was just an NPC.
The lines had blurred, and with the system suddenly silent, he had no choice but to accept his fate and tread carefully at all times.
Something else had also changed. By constantly taking on multiple quests, whether low-ranked or not, Zen steadily racked up Merit Points.
Finally, he ranked up to a D-ranker. In just a full month of joining the clan as an F-ranker, he had upgraded to a D. When he officially received the rank, the clan threw a party where everyone drank, laughed, and danced with unrestrained joy.
The higher-ups didn't intervene, letting everyone reveal their true colors after too much alcohol.
"And I said to her that I love her, but she said she has a boyfriend." Zarin slurred, his eyes glistening with moisture.
Three girls surrounded him, patting his head with smiles.
"There, there. You'll find someone who loves you too," one of them said. Zarin glanced up, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
"So, will you be my girlfriend?" he asked, cheeky and bold, causing the girls to step back. One swung her hand and landed a quick slap on his face.
"Pervert," she scoffed, walking away with the others.
"I just wanted a girl!" Zarin cried, downing another drink.
"Is it just me, or is this place too damn hot?" a young man complained, tugging at his shirt repeatedly while chugging his drink.
"No, it isn't, and don't you da—" Before the female could finish, he yanked off all his clothes, leaving only his underwear.
"Don't you dare!" she yelled.
"Ahhh. Much better," he said with a satisfied sigh, taking another long drink.
"Kael!" the female shouted, face red with frustration.
"What?" Kael asked, raising an eyebrow as he sipped his drink.
"Your clothes!" she yelled, pointing at his bare body.
Kael glanced down at himself and then at his discarded clothes on the ground, blinking rapidly. "Oh my! How did they get off?"
"Kaellll!" she shrieked, her face reddening further.
Cling, Cling, Cling!
Glasses clinked around the room, but no one paid attention. Everyone was too busy chatting, laughing, and drinking continuously, lost in the chaos of the celebration.
SMASH!
The sound of a glass shattering on the ground finally caught everyone's attention. Heads turned toward the front of the hall where the source of the noise stood.
"Now that I have your attention, allow me to make a toast," Thorne announced, lifting a glass in one hand while pulling a reluctant Zen forward with the other.
Zen tried to back away, but Thorne wrapped his arm around his neck and held him firmly while holding the glass high.
"Before I make the toast, let me ask. When was the last time we had a party like this?" Thorne asked. Silence fell over the hall.
"It's been a year now," Ryker replied lazily, lying on the couch with a newspaper covering his face.
"Thank you, Ryker," Thorne said with a smile, lifting his glass toward the sleepy young man.
"You're welcome. Now do me a favor and shut the hell up. I want to sleep," Ryker shouted, pulling the newspaper further over his face.
"Anyway, it's been a year since we all had a proper party and bonded so well. But today, the newbie has made it possible by becoming an official D rank in just a month of joining. So I want to make a toast to our newbie for making this party a reality for us," Thorne said. Everyone smiled widely.
"So this is for Zen!" he shouted, lifting his glass. The others followed, raising their glasses and shouting in unison:
"For Zen!"
They all downed their drinks while Thorne poured a glass and handed it to Zen.
"Here, this is for you."
"For me? No, thank you. I don't drink," Zen said, pushing the glass away.
"You are in the Silverfall Clan, so you have to," Thorne said sternly, glaring at him.
"But I don't want to," Zen replied, backing away slowly. Thorne sighed.
"Well, he doesn't want to. So what shall we do now?" Thorne asked, shaking his head.
"Huh?" Zen muttered, spinning around to see Zarin and Kael staring at him in an almost creepy manner. Before he could react, they overpowered him, pinning him to the floor and forcing his mouth open.
Thorne didn't waste a moment. He poured the entire glass into Zen's mouth, making him swallow the contents. Only then did the duo release him.
"See? Not so bad, is it?" Thorne asked with a smirk and a thumbs up.
"I will kill you all!" Zen shouted, grabbing a chair.
"Run!" Thorne shouted, and the trio dashed off in different directions while the rest of the hall ignored them, continuing the party.
Zen chased the trio across the hall, his footsteps loud against the floor.
"I said, keep it down! I want to sleep!" Ryker roared in anger.
'These guys…' Zen thought, scanning the hall with sharp eyes as he pursued them. 'They might be a little crazy, but they are still good people. I actually feel at peace being here. I just hope nothing goes wrong in the future.'