Eternal Art Online

"Whew."

With a soft chime, a golden light descended upon Kiriya's head—he had leveled up, finally reaching Level 18!

Eagerly, he pulled up the level rankings. Sure enough, his ID had made it onto the Scarlet Emperor Warzone leaderboard, sitting proudly at Rank 83.

The top spot was still held by that female mage, Rose Yuna, who had already broken past Level 20. The rest of the list was filled with male players, but Kiriya didn't dwell on that.

"Haha! Top 100—guess that wraps up today's goal nicely," he murmured with a smile.

His eyes then shifted to the gear reward he'd just received from the quest—no appraisal needed, the stats were laid out clearly:

[Shadow Tunic] (Bronze-Tier)

Defense: 36

Agility: +5

Vitality: +4

Required Level: 18

"Damn, not bad at all… just what I needed."

Without hesitation, Kiriya equipped the Shadow Tunic. His defense stat shot up to 82, higher than most knights at his level. The Blue-Eyed Lizards, known for their tough armor and dangerous strikes, were no longer a threat to him.

He checked his inventory. The 18 gold coins he started with had grown to 32 after slaughtering hordes of lizards. More than enough to cover the travel expenses for the company's errand—he might even have some left over for basic groceries.

After ensuring the area was clear, Kiriya moved to a safe spot at the edge of the forest and logged out without hesitation.

When he took off his helmet, he realized he was completely drenched in sweat. He had been way too immersed. Still, seeing his progress on the rankings made it all feel worth it.

He walked straight into the bathroom for a cold shower, scarfed down a few pieces of bread, gulped some hot water, set the alarm for 8 a.m., and collapsed into bed.

...

He had no idea how long he'd been out when a blaring alarm jolted him awake.

Being dragged from a deep sleep was like getting pulled out of a heated boss fight just before landing the final blow. His head was still groggy, but Kiriya knew he couldn't afford to doze off again—being late to work on his second day was no joke.

He leapt out of bed, threw some water on his face, rushed out the door, and joined the morning crowd. The city was already alive, bathed in the golden light of dawn.

By the time he arrived at the company, it was nearly nine. He clocked in just in time, slumped into his chair, pulled out a dry piece of bread from his bag, and wolfed it down in a few bites.

Not long after, the rest of his female coworkers began trickling into the office.

Mira walked in carrying a small handbag. She sat on the couch, glanced at him, and smiled.

"Kiriya, how was the grind last night? What level are you now?"

He smiled back. "Not bad. I changed classes."

"Oh? What class did you pick?" Mira's tone was playfully curious.

"Swordsman."

She raised an eyebrow. "Hah, what a coincidence—I'm a swordsman too. Airi Lune picked archer, and Rike—hey, Rike, what'd you go with?"

Rike, dressed in a loose, casual dress, plopped down lazily next to Kiriya. Half her leg draped comfortably over his. She giggled.

"Me? I'm a summoner. I can already call out a level 10 wolf cub~"

Kiriya stiffened. Rike's neckline was wide and loose, her posture completely relaxed and unguarded—and she didn't seem the least bit concerned. She casually threw one pale arm over his shoulder, grinning mischievously.

"Kiriya, want me to power level you a bit? If you do… leave me your number, hmm?"

His face instantly flushed bright red. His throat tightened. He couldn't get a single word out. In his entire life, he'd never been this close to a girl, especially one this forward.

Seeing his flustered expression, Mira burst out laughing.

"Rike, tone it down a little, will you? You're gonna scare the poor guy off. It's only been a few days! What's the rush? We've got plenty of time."

Kiriya looked at them all, still dazed and overwhelmed.

"…Why do I get the feeling I'm just some chick being fattened up for the slaughter?"

Rike pressed her lips together with a mischievous smile. "How could that be? Our Snow Rose Studio is all about solidarity. If anyone dares to bully you, I'll be the first to stand up for you!"

Kiriya could only respond with a speechless look. For a mere Summoner, her tone was surprisingly bold—borderline overbearing, even.

Just then, Sylvia walked over carrying a few cups of tea, her smile gentle and composed. "Come on, come on. We all stayed up late last night—have some chrysanthemum tea to cool off."

Kiriya nodded, shifting his body subtly to the left. Only then did Rike finally slide properly into the sofa instead of leaning half her weight on him.

Still puzzled, he glanced at her and asked, "Rike, don't you have a boyfriend?"

Rike chuckled and answered matter-of-factly, "I used to. But that guy kept pestering me, always saying we should 'take the next step' and trying to drag me into a hotel room. So, to protect this lady's pure and untainted body, I kicked him to the curb!"

Kiriya was inwardly taken aback. This woman… not someone to mess with.

Mira, who had just picked up a bottle of herbal tea from the table, took a sip and asked with a grin, "So how did everyone do on the gold coin quest? Did you manage to get your two coins?"

Airi nodded. "Yeah, just barely managed to grind out two coins overnight."

Sylvia sighed. "I only got ten silver coins…"

Rike was even more dramatic. "Two silver! Barely enough to cover my potion costs!"

Mira rolled her eyes and turned to Kiriya. "And you?"

He shrugged. "I borrowed a bit from a friend. Just enough to scrape by."

Mira immediately praised him. "See that? You girls should take a leaf out of Kiriya's book—look at his attitude! Unlike you lot, already turning slippery after just a few days in the studio."

Kiriya smiled modestly and turned to the company-issued computer. He logged into the official site and checked the rankings.

As expected, the female mage named Rose Yuna still held the top spot on the level leaderboard at Level 22. His own [Obsidian Sword] remained firmly at the top of the equipment rankings—unshaken, unrivaled.

The others leaned in behind him, crowding around the screen in awe.

"She's unbelievable," Mira murmured. "I checked her log this morning. Looked like she just logged out. I can't imagine what kind of woman she must be…"

Airi chimed in, "Her level's impressive, sure, but not unachievable. She could have hired people to grind mobs for her, then stepped in to finish them off and claim the XP. That kind of power leveling is doable. But did you see that silver-tier sword on the equipment rankings? That's what's nuts. Who the hell gets a silver item this early? I don't even have a bronze weapon yet~~!"

Sylvia sighed. "You're better off than I. I played all night and only got a black iron axe. If not for that axe, I wouldn't have hit level 15."

Just then, Rike said, "Oh, right—when I came in earlier, I noticed the Director's office door was still locked. Looks like she hasn't come in yet."

Kiriya blinked in surprise. "Wait, who's our Director?"

Rike shot him a teasing glance, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Our Director? Hehe, she's an absolute stunner. Kiriya, when you meet her, you'd better keep your composure~"

Something clicked in Kiriya's mind. Lina. It had to be her. Who else would have the authority to assign him to the development team? And if she wasn't someone high up, how else could she afford a BMW?

Rike continued, "Anyway, Kiriya, since you haven't been given a specific task yet, just hang out online for a bit. Once the Director arrives, she'll assign you something."

Kiriya nodded. "Got it." 

Kiriya spent the rest of the morning browsing the official website and forums of Eternal Art Online in peace. It wasn't until nearly noon that Rike finally walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

"Kiriya, the director wants to see you. Head to her office."

Kiriya paused, slightly startled. A tinge of nervousness rose in his chest, but he quickly stood up and made his way to the director's office at the far end of the work area.

He rapped gently on the door.

"Come in," came a soft female voice from within—so familiar that it almost sounded like Lina's.

He pushed open the door.

Behind a massive desk sat a graceful figure. The woman had her head down, writing in a notebook.

Her long, snow-white hair cascaded down over her chest like a silken waterfall, making her fair skin look even more porcelain-like, delicate and luminous, as if it would bruise at a touch.

About ten seconds passed before she finally looked up.

Kiriya froze.

The face was stunning. Flawless skin like porcelain, a delicate nose, soft pink lips, and a slender and elegant neck. But what struck him most were her eyes—clear and lively, just like Lina's.

It was Lina. 

She glanced at him, her voice calm and indifferent.

"You're Kiriya Jin?"

Kiriya blinked in surprise. Just one day apart, and she didn't even recognize him?

He quickly said, "Lina… I didn't expect to see you working here—"

But the girl frowned and coldly cut him off.

"I'm not Lina. Take a good look. I'm Yuna."

"What? Yuna?!"

Kiriya stood there dumbfounded, unable to say a word.

Could it be… the other voice he heard on the phone that day when Lina called him—that was her sister, Yuna? Wait a minute... that name sounds kind of familiar.

Twins?!

Yuna gave him a frosty glare and scoffed.

"Hmph! If Lina hadn't begged me to take you into the Development Division, I wouldn't have given you the time of day. And you—how dare you hang up on me that day? You've got guts, I'll give you that."

Kiriya winced internally. This is bad. If I have to work under Yuna, I'm going to get tormented every day… What a disaster.

Yuna looked a little weary now.

"Because of you, Lina's still grinding levels like crazy in-game. As for you, just stay put in Snow Rose Studio and level up as fast as you can. Oh, and don't you dare bully the other girls. The company paid a fortune to bring them in."

"Got it," Kiriya nodded obediently.

Yuna nodded slightly, her tone relaxing a little.

"Good. Now leave. I'm going to take a nap…"

"Huh? A nap?" Kiriya echoed.

Yuna blinked, then gave a faint smirk.

"Just go already."

Kiriya backed out of the room and gently closed the door behind him. Through the gap, he caught a glimpse of Yuna brushing her snowy hair aside before laying her head back down on the desk, drifting off into sleep once more.