I Don't Need To Log Out

After arriving at the restaurant district, the group made their way to the same place Arlon and Mei had visited for lunch.

The restaurant had a warm atmosphere, filled with the rich aroma of spices and freshly baked bread.

As they took their seats, a waiter approached. "Welcome back, Miss Mei, Miss Sia, Miss Alia," he greeted before glancing at the larger group. "Trying something new today? You are here with a larger group."

Mei nodded. "Something like that. These are our guest students for the week."

Guest students didn't mean anything to a random waiter, but he was still shocked to hear the term "guest" in this academy.

Also, Mei only came here with a select few, mostly only with Sia.

The players discreetly glanced at the menu. While they could see the words, the dishes meant nothing to them.

Unlike the students, who had spent years eating this food, the players had no idea what any of it was.

Evan leaned toward Arlon. "Alright, which one is the 'like pizza' thing?"

Mei overheard and pointed to Flamebread on the menu. "This is the one we had earlier."

Evan studied the description, frowning. "I don't trust this."

"It was good," Mei reassured.

"Yeah, but was it pizza?"

Arlon sighed. "I already told you, it's like pizza."

"Exactly. Which means it's not pizza." Evan sighed dramatically but ended up ordering it anyway.

One by one, the rest of the group placed their orders.

Flamebread Group: Arlon, Evan, Zack, Sia, and Maria
Your next read is at My Virtual Library Empire

Random Picks (because they had no idea what they were ordering): Pierre, Lei, Carole, June, Carmen

Actually Knew What They Were Eating: Mei, Alia, Leafa, Mirek

Once the waiter left, the players exchanged wary glances.

"So," Lei said, arms crossed. "Any bets on who gets the weirdest dish?"

"My money's on Pierre," Zack said immediately.

Pierre scoffed. "I made an educated guess."

"You pointed at the menu and said 'this one' without reading," Carmen reminded him.

"Exactly. Educated guess."

Before they could continue their debate, the food arrived. The students looked at their meals with recognition, while the players stared at theirs with varying levels of concern.

Evan eyed his Flamebread and poked it cautiously. "Okay. This does look kinda like pizza."

"Told you," Arlon said without a change in his expression.

Evan took a bite, chewed thoughtfully, and finally nodded. "Alright. It's good. But it's not pizza."

Pierre, meanwhile, was frowning at his plate. "…What did I order?"

Mei leaned over. "That's roasted sandcrawler with citrus glaze."

Pierre blinked. "Sand what?"

"You're eating a giant insect," Zack helpfully added.

Pierre put his utensils down immediately.

Lei burst into laughter. "And you were making fun of me for ordering randomly."

"I regret nothing," Pierre lied.

Evan clapped him on the back and silently said, "Look on the bright side. This doesn't affect our real bodies. You could be eating literal poison and be fine."

"That is not a bright side!" The answer was also silent.

After a few more minutes of teasing, the group settled into eating.

The players, still unfamiliar with Trion's food, tried their best to look natural while the students enjoyed their meals without hesitation.

As the plates emptied, the conversation shifted toward training.

"So," Mirek asked, looking at Arlon. "What do you think about today's lesson?"

Arlon leaned back. "Orlen's right. Counterplay isn't just about reacting—it's about creating opportunities. If you wait for your opponent to make a mistake, you're already behind."

Sia nodded. "I agree. But it's harder than it sounds. Instinct takes time to develop."

"It's easier for warriors," Zack added. "Since we rely on reading movements anyway. But it's probably different for summoners and priests, right?"

Maria, who had been quietly listening, spoke up. "Summoners don't react like warriors do. We don't dodge or parry—we have to position our summons properly. If we mess up, we're at risk of getting overwhelmed."

Alia nodded. "Right. We counterplay by predicting instead of reacting directly. Summoners need to think ahead."

"Priests have it different too," Mirek added. "We don't just react to damage—we prevent it. A good priest doesn't wait until someone's hurt to start healing."

Pierre, now serious, added, "And tanks control the fight. If we're good enough, we force the enemy to react to us instead."

Arlon nodded. "Exactly. If you can make your opponent play on your terms, you're already winning."

The discussion continued as they finished their meals. The students analyzed their strategies, while the players, though careful not to reveal too much, reflected on their own experiences.

Of course, not everyone took the lesson equally seriously.

Pierre was still side-eyeing his unfinished plate as if it had personally betrayed him.

"By the way, Sia, it seemed like the waiter knew you," Zack said, leaning forward with mild curiosity. "Do you come here often?"

Before Sia could respond, Alia answered for her. "Ah, we three hang out here sometimes." She gestured toward herself, Mei, and Sia.

Zack blinked. "Huh? I didn't think you three would get along..."

"Why is that?" Mei asked, tilting her head. "We've been classmates for the last seven years. We're best friends as well as rivals!"

The moment Mei said best friends, Sia visibly cringed, her expression twisting as if Mei had just committed an unspeakable crime.

Zack immediately noticed and smirked. "Hmm…" He leaned back, arms crossed, staring at Sia with the kind of look that said I know something you don't want me to know.

Sia narrowed her eyes. "What are you looking at?"

"Oh, nothing." Zack's smirk widened. "Just thinking how cute it is that you're pretending not to like Mei."

Sia scowled. "If you say anything, I will make you eat the insect."

Pierre, who had been quietly pushing his Roasted Sandcrawler around his plate, suddenly froze. "Excuse me?"

Sia ignored him, still glaring at Zack, who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself.

"Oh, come on," Mei said, smiling as she leaned toward Sia. "You do like me, right?"

Sia clicked her tongue and looked away. "I tolerate you at best."

Alia chuckled. "She used to say that about me, too. Now she only insults me half the time instead of all the time."

"Progress," Mei said cheerfully.

Sia sighed. "I hate this conversation."

"You hate a lot of things," Zack said. "Which, if you think about it, means you're a very passionate person."

"You're about to be a very injured person," Sia shot back.

Pierre, still processing the earlier threat, slowly pushed his plate toward Zack. "Since you're so talkative, why don't you eat the insect?"

Zack leaned back. "Sorry, man. You ordered it, you suffer."

"Traitor," Pierre muttered.

The conversation continued with more teasing, much to Sia's growing frustration, while Pierre kept eyeing his plate as if he were in a silent battle with his food.

Despite the chaos, the mood at the table was lighthearted. And for all of Sia's grumbling, she never actually denied the friendship.

Which, of course, only made the teasing worse.