After promptly finishing the quest and returning to the town, the two went over to the request counter in order to report the completion of the quest.

  As many of the activities on the ninth layer were based here, the place was bustling with many players, just as it had been when they left.

  “We’re supposed to make a report, right?”


  “Yes, it looks like it.”


  When the two went closer to the counter, it changed from displaying the quests, to allowing them to make a report. And once you tapped the completion button on the blue panel, you would receive the material and gold rewards, as well as bonus experience points.

  “Woah!”


  “I knew it was coming, because it was written down when we accepted the quest, but I still feel lucky when I actually receive it.”


  “Yes! Yes!”


  With battles in the mines, you would get materials and experience points normally. And bonuses from quests made it even easier to level up, so you could say that it was well worth accepting quests.

  As it was a central element of the ninth layer, it had been made so that players would naturally decide that accepting quests was for their own good.

  “It looks like the others aren’t done.”


  “It’s not like we decided to return, so it’s possible they are exploring some more.”


  They had only just stepped foot into the ninth layer, and so most of it was an uncharted area. Unlike the eighth layers, there were no notable restrictions in terms of explorable areas, so that you could spend as much time as you wanted just walking around the vast field.

  “What should we do? We can just continue to accept more quests, or we can look for a more rare event.”


  While quests gave you a balanced reward based on the time you commited, finding hidden events, items, and dungeons would greatly increase the possibility of sudden growth. That being said, the main objective of the ninth layer was quest progression, and it was to be expected that the slow and steady completion of quests would lead to more quests being unlocked. And so it would be necessary to set aside some time for that as well.

  “Hmm… What should we do…”


  As Maple pondered this, the doors to the entrance swung open, and a familiar face entered. And due to the fact that Maple and Sally were wearing equipment that stuck out even in a crowd, the player noticed them as well.

  “Hey, you two. I see. So Maple Tree is on this side now.”


  “Lily!”


  “Is Rapid Fire here then?”


  “About half of them. Because you won’t know unless you see both.”


  Just like Maple Tree had planned, Rapid Fire was also at the stage where they were sending their guild members to each country and gathering information.

  “Besides, it looks like the event will be using a field that is based off of this one.”


  As Wilbert said, when it came to fighting, whether or not you had detailed information would become very important. And since large scale guilds could send more personnel, they were going to make use of that advantage.

  “Of course. I also think of this as a preparation period.”


  Every player was thinking of the PvP battle ahead, even as they explored the ninth layer.

  “We went to both countries once…and I think it’s best if you see both as soon as possible. After all, it will be difficult to decide which country to choose unless you see them for yourself, right?”


  This time, the characteristics of the fields in both countries would vary greatly. So while you might hear from other guild members or gather information from message boards, seeing was still believing.

  “And there are quests for each country. It will be difficult to finish the quests on both sides before the event.”


  “I see…”


  They still didn’t know what awaited them after they finished the quests, but it seemed quite possible that it would be something that would give them an advantage during the event. And so instead of haphazardly trying to do both, it would be better to quickly decide which country you will belong to.

  So in order to do this, Lily and the others had decided to start by checking out both of them.

  “In that case, Sally, maybe we should go over there as well?”


  “Sure. We’ll heed the advice of those who went first.”


  They had been wondering what to do, but they now had a direction. Of course, this didn’t mean they had decided to stick with one country, but they would at least be acting quickly.

  “It would really help if you can tell me if you find something that could be useful.”


  “Hehehe. I can’t tell that to someone who will likely be a rival.”


  “Haha. That’s too bad.”


  That being said, in the present, they were not exactly on opposing sides. And so if they happened to be in a dungeon together, they would offer each other a hand. That had not changed.

  All it meant was that they were concerned with the upcoming PvP battle.

  “Well, then. Let’s play as a party again, if the opportunity arises.”


  “Yes!”


  And with those parting words, Willbert and Lily headed towards the back. In a corner of the vast room, some players had gathered together. And since that was where the two went, it suggested that they were the other members of Rapid Fire. Maple could not tell what they were talking about, but they were probably exchanging information.

  “So, I guess we should depart from this country.”


  “I wonder what the other side is like.”


  “My impression is that of monsters with high attack ability and a lot of traps…”


  But this too, they would not know until they actually went there. And so while the two had initially planned to stay longer, for now, they headed in the opposite direction. To the field of fire, thunder and a sprawling wasteland.