The journey across the endless desert lasted several more hours.
The sun had already begun its slow descent when the distant silhouette finally appeared on the horizon.
At first it looked like a dark line.
Then a wall.
Then an entire city.
Everyone aboard the sand ship they ended up taking from another sand pirate gradually noticed it.
Even Ramos stopped steering for a moment.
Silla's eyes widened.
Kiraya leaned slightly forward.
Hinabi stared in silence.
Ryota let out a low whistle.
Even Sayanaki opened one eye from where she had been resting.
Ahead of them stood the largest city on Floor Two.
The City of Nendu.
"..."
Silla couldn't speak.
The city was simply too large.
Massive sandstone walls stretched across the horizon like an artificial mountain range.
They towered high into the sky, protecting everything behind them from the endless desert.
She had lived on Floor Two her entire life.
She knew Versoza.
She knew Sasoru.
She knew dozens of villages scattered throughout the sands.
But this...
This was different.
Completely different.
"Wow..."
The word escaped her lips without permission.
Rio smiled.
"First time seeing it?"
Silla slowly nodded.
"I never imagined it was this big."
Nobody blamed her.
Even new players often froze when seeing Nendu for the first time.
Because Nendu wasn't simply a city.
It was multiple cities combined into one.
As the ship drew closer, the scale became clearer.
The outer rim spread behind the massive walls.
Entire districts stretched endlessly.
Factories.
Workshops.
Warehouses.
Markets.
Guild-owned buildings.
Farms growing desert crops.
Thousands of structures connected through roads and canals.
Players and NPCs moved everywhere.
Merchants.
Guards.
Workers.
Adventurers.
It felt alive.
And beyond the outer rim—
a massive lake.
The enormous body of water divided the city into two sections.
At the center of the lake stood another city.
The Inner Rim.
The true heart of Nendu.
Elegant buildings rose toward the sky.
Large guild halls overlooked plazas.
Rare-item shops lined wealthy districts.
Government buildings stood proudly at the center.
Eight enormous bridges connected the two sections together.
From above, the city resembled a giant wheel.
Outer rim.
Lake.
Inner rim.
Perfectly designed.
Perfectly protected.
Silla simply stared.
"...It's beautiful."
Rio nodded.
"It is."
Kiraya crossed her arms.
"So."
She glanced around.
"Where do you think the teleporter is?"
Rio pointed toward the distant center.
"The Inner Rim."
"Center district."
"That's where the Floor Three teleporter is."
Everyone nodded.
Simple enough.
Or so they thought.
Rio immediately smiled.
"First."
The smile worried Ryota.
"Let's go shopping."
Everyone stared.
Ryota sighed.
"There it is."
Kiraya blinked.
"Shopping?"
Rio nodded.
"Trust me."
"We need supplies."
"Lots of supplies."
Nobody understood.
But by now everyone had learned something.
Whenever Rio said trust me—
there was usually a terrifying reason behind it.
So they followed.
The Outer Rim marketplace was enormous.
Rows upon rows of shops stretched through multiple streets.
The group spent nearly an hour walking through them.
And to everyone's confusion—
Rio wasn't buying weapons.
She wasn't buying armor.
She wasn't buying accessories.
Instead—
she bought expedition supplies.
Lots of them.
Ropes.
Herbs.
Water containers.
Medical kits.
Anti-poison remedies.
Paralysis cures.
Portable cooking supplies.
Flashlights.
Hatchets.
Cleavers.
Navigation tools.
Emergency blankets.
Everything.
Mostly for Ramos and Silla.
The two NPCs looked increasingly confused as their inventories filled.
Eventually Silla couldn't hold back.
"Lady Rio..."
"Hm?"
"What exactly is Floor Three?"
Rio smiled.
"You'll see."
That answer terrified everyone more.
Especially because she refused to elaborate.
Then she bought something truly strange.
Sixteen flare guns.
And twenty-one torches.
Kiraya stared.
"...Why?"
Rio immediately distributed them.
"Emergency equipment."
Each member received two flare guns.
Three torches.
Extra fuel.
Everyone accepted them.
Though nobody had any idea why they would need so many.
Sayanaki silently pocketed hers.
Kiraya did the same.
Hinabi followed.
Ryota gave up questioning Rio's logic way back then.
By the time they finished shopping, the sky had turned orange.
The group finally headed toward the transportation district.
Large rail lines connected the Outer Rim to the Inner Rim.
Massive trains traveled continuously between the two.
Players lined up near the station.
NPC workers moved cargo.
Merchants shouted advertisements.
The entire district buzzed with activity.
Sayanaki suddenly stopped walking.
Then she turned toward Ramos and Silla.
Without a word she opened her inventory.
A small pistol appeared.
Then a dagger.
She handed both to Silla.
The former village chief's daughter immediately froze.
"M-Me?"
Sayanaki nodded.
"Keep them."
Silla carefully accepted the weapons.
Then Sayanaki turned toward Ramos.
A simple sword appeared.
She tossed it toward him.
Ramos barely caught it.
"W-Why are you giving us weapons?"
Sayanaki looked at them.
Her expression was unusually serious.
"In case you need to defend yourselves."
No jokes.
No teasing.
Just a simple statement.
Both NPCs slowly nodded.
The weight of the situation became clearer.
Even now—
they were still targets.
Still hunted.
Still in danger.
Rio watched silently.
Then smiled.
"Good."
"Everyone's prepared."
The train station platform came into view.
People waited peacefully.
Players talked.
NPCs traveled.
Everything seemed normal.
Safe.
Calm.
Then Rio's footsteps stopped.
Immediately.
Her smile vanished.
Ryota noticed first.
"What is it?"
Rio didn't answer.
Her eyes remained fixed on a specific chair near the station.
Someone was sitting there.
Alone.
Calmly waiting.
A familiar dagger rested across his lap.
A familiar smirk sat on his face.
As if he had been expecting them.
Waiting for them.
The moment Kiraya saw him—
her expression changed.
Sayanaki's eyes narrowed.
Ryota instinctively reached for his weapon.
Silla immediately stepped behind Ramos.
The man slowly stood.
Dusting off his coat.
His gaze met Rio's.
Then he smiled.
"Well."
"I was wondering how long it would take."
The station suddenly felt much quieter.
Much colder.
Much more dangerous.
Because standing before them—
was the leader of Phantom Menace.
Sugolith.
And judging from the smile on his face—
he wasn't here by coincidence.
The moment Sugolith stood from his chair, the atmosphere around the station changed.
It wasn't obvious.
Most of the players waiting for the train continued their conversations.
Merchants still argued over prices.
NPC workers still pushed cargo carts across the platform.
The station remained noisy.
Busy.
Alive.
Yet for the members of Crowned Era, it felt as if the entire world had suddenly become quieter.
Silla immediately moved closer to Ramos.
The hood covering her newly dyed purple hair hid most of her face, but the tension in her shoulders was impossible to miss.
Ramos tightened his grip around the sword Sayanaki had given him.
His knuckles turned white.
Ryota instinctively stepped slightly forward.
Not enough to provoke a fight.
Just enough to place himself between Sugolith and the two NPCs.
Kiraya and Hinabi exchanged glances.
Neither had personally fought Sugolith before.
But after hearing everything that had happened in Versoza, they understood exactly who he was.
The leader of Phantom Menace.
The mercenary guild responsible for hunting Ramos and Silla.
Meanwhile—
Sayanaki's hand casually rested on Fenrir's Fang.
Her expression remained completely unreadable.
Only Rio looked calm.
Her blue eyes never left Sugolith.
Watching.
Measuring.
Evaluating.
Sugolith noticed immediately.
Then laughed.
A low amused laugh escaped him.
"What?"
He spread his arms.
"You all look like you're preparing for a raid boss."
Nobody answered.
Especially not Ramos.
The former farmer looked as if he wanted to jump onto the tracks and run to another city.
Sugolith noticed that too.
His grin widened.
"Relax."
"I didn't come here to fight."
Ramos immediately pointed at him.
"Yeah right!"
Several nearby players turned their heads.
Sugolith blinked.
Then burst into laughter.
A genuine laugh.
Not mocking.
Not cruel.
Just surprisingly honest amusement.
"You really think I'd attack you here?"
"Look around."
He gestured toward the station.
Hundreds of players.
NPC guards.
Merchants.
Travelers.
Children.
Families.
Workers.
The entire platform was crowded.
"If I wanted to kill you, this would be the stupidest place possible."
His eyes moved toward Rio.
"Besides."
"If I wanted a fight, I would've brought my guild."
That statement caused Hinabi's expression to tighten.
Because it was true.
Phantom Menace specialized in numbers.
Ambushes.
Coordinated attacks.
Information gathering.
If Sugolith truly intended to fight them, there would be assassins on rooftops.
Scouts in nearby alleys.
Archers overlooking the station.
Instead—
he was alone.
Rio continued studying him.
Then quietly asked.
"So why are you here?"
Sugolith shrugged.
"Vacation."
Silence.
Then Ramos exploded.
"THAT'S THE DUMBEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD!"
Even nearby NPCs glanced over.
Sugolith pointed at him.
"See?"
"That's the exact reaction everyone gives."
Ramos looked ready to throw his sword.
Sugolith rubbed the back of his neck.
"I'm serious."
"The doctor doesn't pay me enough to be his loyal following lackey."
That made everyone pause.
Even Silla looked confused.
Sugolith continued.
"You know how mercenaries work."
"We get hired."
"We do the job."
"We get paid."
"The end."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"The moment somebody expects loyalty beyond that, they better be paying a lot more."
Rio could hear no deception.
No hesitation.
No signs of a lie.
He genuinely meant every word.
Sugolith looked toward Silla.
Then Ramos.
Then back to Rio.
"From my perspective?"
"I didn't see anything."
"What girl?"
"What farmer?"
"I've been enjoying my vacation."
The station became quiet again.
Not because people stopped talking.
But because everyone in Crowned Era was processing what they had just heard.
Kiraya folded her arms.
"You expect us to believe that?"
Sugolith shrugged.
"Believe whatever you want."
"I'm still getting on that train."
The platform speakers suddenly crackled to life.
A mechanical voice echoed throughout the station.
"Attention passengers."
"The Inner Rim Transit Train will arrive shortly."
A loud metallic rumble followed.
Rails vibrated.
The ground trembled.
Far down the track, lights appeared.
The train was coming.
Sugolith casually sat back down.
As if nothing had happened.
As if he wasn't sitting a few meters away from people he'd fought only days ago.
That alone disturbed Ramos more than any threat.
The former farmer slowly leaned toward Rio.
"Lady Rio."
"Hm?"
"Why are you so calm?"
Rio glanced at him.
Then looked back toward Sugolith.
"He isn't lying."
Ramos blinked.
"...That's it?"
"That's it."
Ramos nearly choked.
Meanwhile, Sugolith laughed from his chair.
"You know."
"I liked you better when you were trying to shoot me."
Ryota immediately replied.
"We can still do that."
"See?"
Sugolith pointed at him.
"That's the spirit."
The mercenary leader leaned back comfortably.
Completely at ease.
As though he weren't surrounded by people capable of killing him.
And strangely enough—
that confidence made him feel even more dangerous than before.
Because everyone present understood the same thing.
Sugolith wasn't afraid.
Not because he was stronger than them.
Not because he thought he could win.
But because he genuinely had no intention of fighting.
The train finally emerged from the distance.
A massive steel machine crossing the desert toward the station.
Its arrival drowned out the remaining tension.
For now.
Yet as Rio watched Sugolith calmly waiting for the train alongside them, a strange thought crossed her mind.
This probably wouldn't be the last time they met.
And somehow—
that feeling bothered her more than if he had attacked.