The last monster in the labyrinth zone let out a wail and disintegrated into a shower of data fragments.
Chen Mo sheathed his sword, glancing at the experience bar in the top right corner.
He was still a fair bit away from Level 15.
Without the slightest pause, he turned to look behind him.
Kirito leaned on his sword with one hand, his chest heaving violently, his HP had already dropped into the dangerous yellow zone, and the potions in his inventory were nearly depleted.
"Let's stop here for today," Chen Mo's voice was calm and unruffled.
Kirito nodded vigorously; this high-intensity battle had almost completely drained his energy.
He looked at Chen Mo's still-straight back, hesitated for a moment, but still asked,
"Tomorrow... are we coming again?"
"Depends on the situation."
Chen Mo's reply was still as concise as a command.
He opened the menu, and his friend request was accepted by the other party in an instant.
The two parted ways at the gloomy entrance of the labyrinth zone.
Kirito, dragging his weary body, walked towards the Town of Beginning, each step seemingly a recollection of the battle that had just overturned his understanding.
Chen Mo, however, as if nothing had happened, returned directly to the Town of Beginning.
Night had already enveloped this city of cages.
The streets were far sparser with players than during the day, and a suffocating stillness permeated the air.
Fear was the best tranquilizer; most people chose to hide in the safety of inns, escaping reality in a false sense of peace.
"Beep."
A crisp notification sound broke the silence.
It was a friend message.
"Little brother! Free tonight? The rat's buying you a drink~"
The sender was Argo, and the playful tilde at the end of the message made it seem as if one could see her smiling with narrowed eyes.
Chen Mo raised an eyebrow.
This Information Broker, who couldn't bear to split a second into two, actually had the leisure to invite someone for a drink?
He tapped his fingertip, replying with four words.
"Moonlight Tavern."
...Moonlight Tavern was one of the few establishments still operating normally in the center of the Town of Beginning.
Orange-yellow light seeped through the stained-glass windows, like an amber gem, embedded in the dead of night, bringing a trace of insignificant human warmth.
Pushing open the heavy wooden door, a warm breeze, mixed with the scent of ale and human voices, wafted over him.
A few tables of players were scattered around the tavern.
In a corner, someone was slumped over a table, their shoulders subtly shaking, suppressing sobs, trying to numb their fear of death with alcohol.
On the other side, several people sat together, speaking in low voices, discussing something with tense expressions, their gazes occasionally sweeping around vigilantly.
Chen Mo's gaze swept over the room, accurately pinpointing his target.
In the deepest shadow of the corner, a figure waved at him.
Argo.
She was still wearing her iconic hooded cloak, the brim pulled low, revealing only her delicate chin and the two cute cat whisker markings on her cheeks.
Chen Mo walked over and sat down opposite her.
Two tankards of ale, overflowing with white foam, were already on the table.
"I didn't expect such a busy person to have free time," Chen Mo spoke first.
Beneath the shadow of her cloak, Argo's amber eyes curved into crescent moons.
"It's the first time I've seen you actively invite someone out," Chen Mo picked up his drink.
"That's because there are too few people worth inviting!"
Argo retorted self-righteously, then raised her glass and gulped down a large mouthful. Although the first floor's ale wasn't particularly delicious, it was a rare drink to savor.
She put down the glass, white foam clinging to her lips, looking a bit comical.
Then, she extended her index finger, lightly poked the cat whisker markings on her cheek, and with a hint of boastfulness, asked seriously,
"How is it? Cute, right?"
Watching her seriously showing off her markings, Chen Mo's usually taut lips suddenly relaxed a little.
"Pfft..."
A very soft laugh escaped his lips.
"Hey! What's so funny?!"
Argo's face instantly flushed, the crimson spreading rapidly from her cheeks to her neck, like a cooked shrimp.
She reached out in exasperation, grabbing Chen Mo's sleeve, her voice even carrying a few trembles of annoyance.
Chen Mo looked at her rare moment of embarrassment, stopped laughing, his gaze falling on her face, his tone more serious than ever.
"Very cute."
Argo's hand, gripping his sleeve, froze.
She was stunned for several seconds before suddenly letting go as if burned, then quickly lowered her head, picking up her glass to conceal her discomposure, and gulped down her drink without a word.
The air, for a moment, was silent save for her gulping sounds.
After a while, Chen Mo was the one to break the silence.
"Why did you want to see me?"
"Cough, cough."
Argo seemed to find an excuse, immediately cleared her throat, and put on her professional Information Broker mask again, her voice also returning to its calm state.
"Recently, there have been some unpleasant rumors in the city."
She lowered her voice, her amber eyes vigilantly sweeping around.
"Someone is inciting regular players, saying that we Closed Beta Players monopolize the best resources and don't give them a chance to live."
Chen Mo's hand, holding the drink, paused in mid-air for a moment.
"Who's behind this?"
"A guy named Yabashi," Argo's voice dropped even lower, "Kansai accent, with a cactus-like hairstyle, very eloquent, extremely inflammatory. This afternoon, he gave another speech in the central plaza, getting many newcomers all fired up."
"What's his rhetoric?"
"What else could it be?" Argo curled her lip in disdain, "It's the same old story, saying that Closed Beta Players use information asymmetry to monopolize resources, making it difficult for regular players to survive, and that they must unite to establish a guild that uniformly distributes resources, giving everyone a chance to live."
She rolled her eyes beautifully.
"He makes it sound better than it is, but in reality, he just wants to form a gang and become the boss himself."
Chen Mo fell silent.
Just as he remembered, this clown had still made his appearance.
Yabashi.
A fool who, on the surface, claimed to speak for the people but was actually selfish, and ultimately, with his ridiculous theories, indirectly caused the deaths of many innocent players.
"What are you worried about?" Chen Mo asked.
"I'm worried this antagonistic sentiment will get out of control," Argo's brows furrowed tightly, "You know, fear devours reason, and once the conflict escalates, we Closed Beta Players will become everyone's target."
She paused, her tone becoming even more solemn.
"And... you're the one with the most momentum right now."
"The information on the labyrinth zone, that quenching longsword, and the fact that you and Kirito took down an elite monster today... your name has already spread among the Assault Team's higher-ups. If someone like Yabashi targets you..."
Chen Mo slowly put down his drink, the bottom of the glass hitting the wooden table with a soft clink.
There was no extra expression on his face.
"And then?"
"Aren't you worried?!" Argo was a little anxious, "Yabashi has already gathered a group of people under him! If they resort to force..."
"Argo."
Chen Mo interrupted her.
His voice was very soft, yet it was like the cold wind of a winter night, instantly calming Argo down.
"Do you think I'd be afraid of a useless person who only knows how to talk big?"
The absolute confidence contained in that calm tone sent a shiver down Argo's spine.
"But..."
"No buts."
Chen Mo stood up, leaving a few ke'er on the table, enough to cover both their drinks.
"Thank you for the warning."
"However, this level of trouble isn't something I need to worry about."
He turned and walked towards the tavern door, his back resolute and aloof.
"Chen Mo!"
Argo couldn't help but call out to him.
"Be careful, okay?"
Chen Mo's steps paused, but he didn't turn back.
"Don't worry."
"I'm harder to deal with than you imagine."
As his words fell, he pushed open the wooden door, his figure instantly melting into the deep night outside.
Argo gazed in the direction he had disappeared for a long time before letting out a helpless sigh and downing the rest of the ale in her glass.
Meanwhile, in the darkest corner of the tavern.
The player who had been slumped over the table, seemingly crying drunk, slowly raised his head.
Under the shadow of his hood, a pair of eyes, like venom, stared intently at the door where Chen Mo had exited.
He silently stood up, like a slick venomous snake, and followed him out.