Chapter 11: Meeting

Hall, Monsra – Day

The hall buzzed with conversation. Designed like a modern lecture theatre, the venue had tiered seating and a central stage where light pooled from hanging lanterns. It was already partially filled when Tayo stepped inside.

General Rowen stood near the front, flanked by Marie, Charles, Hiro, and a few soldiers. Around them were scattered clusters of gamers—some seated, some standing in quiet conversation. The room was calm, but something hung heavy in the air.

Two new arrivals walked in through the side entrance, their presence drawing several heads. Frank and Evan. Marie caught sight of them and leaned toward Charles.

“Great,” she muttered. “The brats came.”

Henry, already seated near the front, spotted Tayo and raised a hand in greeting.

“Good to see you,” he said warmly as Tayo approached.

“You too. How have you been?” Tayo asked, sliding into the seat beside him.

Henry gave a half-shrug, glancing around the half-empty hall. “Nothing much. Seems most people are playing it safe.”

Tayo nodded. “Yeah, I noticed. Not many people want to risk their lives.”

Henry gave him a quick look. “You look alright. How’s Jim doing?”

“He’s fine. Sends his regards.” Tayo smirked faintly. “He’s actually doing very fine. He found a girlfriend.”

Henry raised an eyebrow. “That was quick. Real or fake?”

Tayo chuckled, shaking his head.

Just then, General Rowen stepped up to the raised platform, Marie at his side. The quiet hum of chatter faded as he raised a hand for attention.

“Good day, everyone,” he began, his voice steady, commanding. “I’d like to thank you all for coming. As I’m sure you’ve realized by now, we are in a grave predicament. Help... is not coming.”

From the crowd, a voice rang out—loud, skeptical.

“And what makes you certain of that?” Evan asked, sitting next to Frank.

Rowen didn’t miss a beat. “The AI wants to connect to our world. I do not believe the authorities would risk billions of lives for the few hundred thousand of us trapped in here.”

The room fell silent. His next words were slow, deliberate.

“We ourselves must do what we can. That means finding the portal... and the key to the next dimension. Iknow we shouldn't trust the word of our jailer—but by opening new realms we open more paths to freedom.”

A beat passed, and Rowen’s eyes swept across the room. “Before we proceed, I must ask: are any of you actual testers?”

The question landed like a weight. A few in the room shifted uncomfortably. Tayo tensed beside Henry. The small movement didn’t go unnoticed.

Henry glanced at him, eyes narrowing. “You alright?”

Tayo nods.

Around the room, others exchanged uncertain looks. Hiro’s gaze drifted toward a gamer in a dark cloak, oddly similar to her own.

Marie stepped forward, taking over the stage with practiced ease.

“Let us know. If not now, then later. We need all the information we can get.”

The silence that followed was heavy, until Frank stepped forward.

“In case you didn’t know,” he said dryly, “they weren’t allowed to enter. Can we move on?”

Marie exhaled but nodded slightly. “As my… the general said, we have to find the portal and the key. To do that, we soldiers have decided to form a guild-style organization. We’d like to invite you all to join.”

A ripple passed through the audience. Several hands went up. Marie pointed to Henry.

“Are there any criteria?” he asked.

“You’ve already met the first—your level,” Marie replied. “The second is a small membership fee.”

Frank spoke up again, louder now. “If I’m not mistaken, the general will be our boss, right?”

Marie met his gaze evenly. “Yes.”

Frank stood up, making sure everyone could see him.

“And why should we agree to that? The military helped build this game in the first place.”

Rowen’s expression remained unreadable. “Yes, the military was involved. But none of the soldiers here were. We were guests at the opening ceremony. Nothing more.”

Frank sneered. “That still doesn’t fill me with confidence. You must be what—eighty? Ninety?”

A few chuckles stirred in the room. Even Marie’s jaw tensed.

Frank pressed on. “Just because you were a general doesn’t mean you can lead us in here. We’re skilled gamers.”

Marie began to reply, but Rowen stepped forward.

“Frank, right?” he said, voice low but cutting. “This must be the first time you’ve been useful in your life.”

The room went quiet.

“Know your place, child. Sit down.”

“Fuck you,” Frank snapped.

“This is no longer a game,” Rowen said flatly.

Frank looked ready to explode, but Evan quickly stopped him from approaching the stage. Henry stood too, raising his hands in a calming gesture.

“I think we can create several guilds instead of just one,” he offered, “and then share information among one another.”

Marie frowned. “Or compete against each other? We can’t afford factions. One guild means unity.”

Frank scoffed. “Or maybe that’s the point. Maybe we’re supposed to compete.”

“Would you please be quiet?” Marie snapped, patience thinning.

With a sharp movement, Frank drew his sword.

Gasps echoed across the room. Marie’s hand flew to the hilt of her own, but Evan and two other gamers held Frank back, murmuring frantically.

“Is it a fight you want?” Frank roared. “I’ll destroy you!”

Marie’s eyes blazed, but she didn’t move. She looked to Rowen. “Can I kick him out?”

Rowen didn’t answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed on Frank, watching to see if he would escalate.

From his seat, Tayo raised a hand.

“Excuse me,” he called out. “Excuse me!”

Finally, Evan managed to calm Frank, who reluctantly sheathed his sword and returned to his seat, still fuming. Marie released her grip on her weapon and turned to Tayo.

“Please, go ahead.”

Tayo stood, looking around nervously before he began.

“I don’t think we should form guilds at all. At least not yet. My suggestion is to encourage small, independent teams—especially among inactive gamers. On my way here, I passed towns full of undone missions. If we form a central guild now, latecomers, gamers who join later may just coast along, simply relying on us.”

Rowen nodded slowly. “You’ve made valid points, Mr...?”

“Ray,” Tayo replied.

“Ray. We will certainly focus on forming teams and assigning missions—after the formation of the guild. The structure will help reduce the number of casualties we’re currently seeing.”

Tayo nodded and sat back down.

Marie pointed to another gamer near the back.

“Hi. Name’s Anew,” the man said. “Will Tourist Class gamers be allowed to join?”

Marie nodded. “Definitely. But they won’t be required to engage in battle.”

Tayo raised his hand again.

Marie turned to Tayo. “Mr. Ray?”

“One more thing,” he said. “I believe our first priority—before anything else, even before the portal and key—should be to find Ea.”

A murmur rippled through the crowd. The mention of “Ea” had sent a wave of uncertainty across the room. Eyes flickered with suspicion. Even the hooded figure at the back—whose cloak mirrored Hiro’s—stiffened. Slowly, he turned his gaze to Tayo.

It was Naori.

Except this time, he bore no scar. He now had a thick beard. Tayo’s suggestion was the exact same thing on his mind.

From the dais, Marie narrowed her eyes at Tayo.
“Ea… as in the AI that welcomed us?” she asked.

“Yes.” Tayo answered.

She frowned. “That’s a bad idea.”

“She may know things,” Tayo pressed, “things that could help us.”

“She was an artificial intelligence,” Marie shot back. “We have to assume all of them are dangerous. We strengthen ourselves first—before we approach any of them.”

With nothing more to add, Tayo nodded and returned to his seat, he wasn’t able to convince them.

**

The meeting was drawing to a close. The sun cast long shadows across the city of Monsra, its golden light unable to fully dispel the tension still hanging in the air. Marie stepped forward.

“Thanks to all of you for your input,” she said. “We’ll now be moving to another venue for the second part of the meeting. Those who would like to join us—please follow. To the rest of you, thank you for coming.”

As the crowd began to disperse, a few left immediately—Frank, Evan, and several others among them. Tayo, still lingering near the edge of the crowd, found himself approached by the bearded man in the cloak.

“Hi,” Naori said simply.

“Hello,” Tayo replied politely.

“My name’s Nathan. I just wanted to say—I agree with your suggestion. About Ea. If you ever need help, I’m available.”

Tayo offered a small nod. “Thanks. I think I’ll speak to the general again. See what he decides.”

Nathan—Naori—smiled faintly. “Let me know. Like I said, I’m willing to help.”

With that, he turned and faded into the crowd.

Near the stage, the general was whispering something to Hiro. Moments later, she hurried over to Marie and said something in her ear. Marie nodded and turned to the remaining attendees.

“A moment, please,” she called. “Everyone can come with me—regardless of whether or not you plan to join.”

Hearing this, Tayo and Henry, who had been preparing to leave, changed their minds, they turned and followed the others inside.