Inside the Dungeon Center, the mood was a strange mix of cafeteria, tavern, and post-quest hangout. The air carried the faint smell of roasted meat and something slightly burnt—probably someone's enchanted cloak that didn't survive the last fire trap.
Torches lined the walls, their orange glow flickering lazily, throwing light that made shadows stretch and twitch across the floor.
It wasn't exactly cozy, but it was familiar—the kind of lighting players didn't really notice until it flickered out mid-conversation.
Tables were packed with players—some digging into hot meals like they hadn't eaten in days, others sipping drinks while retelling stories way louder than they needed to.
Off to one side of the hall stood the Leader Board. It looked like someone slammed a glowing tablet into the wall and surrounded it with enough magic and metal to make it feel important.
Names shimmered across the surface—big names. The kind of players people whispered about or tried to avoid in PvP zones.
Noah stood with the rest of the group—arms relaxed, eyes scanning the names like he was window-shopping for a future version of himself.
Dimitri had that calm look like he was already planning their path to the top.
June gave the list a quick once-over and looked unimpressed, as if she'd expected to already be on it.
Fiona stood a little closer to the board than the others, her eyes full of quiet awe, like she was seeing something magical rather than just a bunch of names floating on crystal.
The Leader Board pulsed gently with magical light, displaying the names of the top 100 players like a monument carved out of code and ego.
Each entry glowed with a faint silver hue, listed alongside the highest floor they'd reached in the Endless Dungeon.
Some names flickered in and out of the rankings as updates rolled in. Others had held their position so long it was like they'd grown roots.
But all eyes—Noah's included—inevitably drifted to the very top.
His gaze locked on the number one spot, and the name beside it.
"Takahashi Haruna. There's always a Japanese player dominating the leaderboard in dungeon games, huh?"
Dimitri nodded with a kind of respectful awe, eyes lingering on the number next to her name.
"She is on floor two hundred sixty-three now. That is… very far, my friend."
"I've heard whispers she only set foot in Endless Dungeon three years ago. Quite the impressive little climb, isn't it? A prodigy, they call her. How sweet. Truly."
She flipped her hair with perfect timing.
"Too bad another prodigy has entered the scene... and surprise, surprise—it's me."
"Okay, cool, enough monologuing. Let's go. It's time to crawl a dungeon."
Noah turned with a grin, already heading for the nearest exit like he was ready to start rewriting the rankings himself.
Dimitri followed with his usual relaxed pace.
Fiona happily trailed behind, glancing back once at the shimmering names like they were storybook legends.
Behind them, June stayed still for a beat too long.
"Hmp!"
She tossed her hair with the kind of flair that didn't just ask for attention—it expected it. Then she marched after the group, not too fast, not too slow, like the hallway was her personal runway.
Noah was already approaching the edge of the hall, just a few steps from the arched exit, when something bumped into him.
Not a stumble. Not an accident. It was light but purposeful—like someone had aimed for him on purpose.
He stopped.
The girl didn't move past him. She just stood there, planted right in front of him, blocking the way like she didn't know what to do next but also couldn't bring herself to walk away.
Then, just above a whisper—
"A-ano…"
The girl slowly lifted her head, almost like she was still debating if she should've just turned around and pretended it never happened. Her black eyes flicked up to meet Noah's, wavering but steadying just enough to show she was trying—even if everything in her body language screamed shy.
Her hands fidgeted slightly by her sides, and her shoulders stayed just a little too tense. It wasn't fear. It was more like someone forcing themselves out of their shell for a reason they believed in.
Noah's gaze softened. He recognized her almost instantly—the same girl from the inn earlier. Quiet. Polite. Almost invisible, if not for the way she seemed to carry herself like she didn't want to bother anyone.
"Do you need anything, miss?"
There was a pause. Then a quiet voice slipped out, barely louder than a whisper.
"My name is Tanaka Aiko… Main class is Warrior. Subclass… Samurai. My guide, Yanagi, she overheard… um, outside. You were talking about recruiting party members…"
Her words trailed off at the end like she wasn't sure if she was being too forward just by existing.
But there was something in her voice—quiet hope, maybe. The kind that showed up only when someone was finally brave enough to reach out.
"My name is Noah Smith. Yeah, we were looking for party members earlier. But we've already filled all the slots."
Aiko's head dropped low in a deep bow, her posture so formal it almost felt out of place among all the noise and casual chaos of the Dungeon Center.
"Please… let me join your party."
Noah blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift. He scratched the back of his head, gaze drifting to the crowd behind her.
"There are a bunch of groups recruiting over there. Maybe try asking one of them?"
Aiko hesitated. Her hands clenched lightly at her sides, and her eyes turned away, fixing on a spot on the floor like it had personally disappointed her.
"They already rejected me… after I explained my situation."
Her voice came softer than before. Not just quiet—fragile. Like the words themselves were being forced out one at a time, each one wrapped in something she didn't want to share.
"What situation?"
Aiko hesitated, her fingers tightening around the hem of her sleeve before she answered.
"I've been here for three months already… and I'm still level two."
Noah blinked. Once. Twice.
"How have you even survived this long?"
Her voice was soft, but there was something steady underneath it—like someone who'd quietly pushed through things no one ever bothered to ask about.
"I take quests that don't need fighting. Gathering mushrooms… collecting flowers… sometimes harvesting vegetables in the farming zones. After reaching level two, the quests on the first floor and the marketplace don't give experience anymore. But… they still give gold. And sometimes food."
She looked down again, her gaze distant like she was remembering each slow day, one by one.
Noah stared at her, completely thrown off.
"Okay… that's… wow. I don't even know what to say. That's way too much information for a first conversation, don't you think?"
"I barely survived the tutorial… the slime was too strong. I couldn't move properly, and I almost cried."
Aiko's voice trembled a little, but she kept speaking, words unfolding like someone finally letting go of thoughts they'd carried too long.
"I don't talk to people much back home. I'm a bit of a… hermit. Talking like this is already a challenge."
Dimitri, standing just to the side, smiled gently. It wasn't the kind of smile that asked questions or expected anything. It was warm, easy, and quiet—the kind of smile that made you feel like maybe you weren't as strange as you thought.
"And you decided to explore now?"
Aiko glanced up at him. Her lips parted slightly, surprised by the softness in his tone.
"Yes… I found out the NPCs only refresh their quests when you finish one. I didn't know that at first… I just kept doing the same ones. But now, all the quests left need me to fight. Even the vegetable lady started asking me to chase off goblins."
Her fingers curled into loose fists. She swallowed, then added,
"If I don't go out now… I'll run out of gold. And food. So, I have no choice. I have to fight. Even if I'm scared."
The way she said it wasn't dramatic. It wasn't some emotional declaration. It was quiet. Real. The kind of honesty you couldn't fake, no matter how many times you rehearsed it in your head.
The air felt a little heavier, not because of tension, but because none of them knew exactly what to say.
Silence spread between the four, their gazes flicking from one face to another like they were waiting for someone else to say the first thing.
No one moved. No one dared to breathe too loud. It was that kind of silence—the awkward kind that hovered when things got just a little too real.
June folded her arms, her posture a subtle shield against whatever thoughts she didn't want slipping through.
"Well, I suppose I'll give her credit where it's due. Brutal honesty and all that... though honestly, a touch of subtlety wouldn't kill her."
Fiona's expression softened as if her heart had just gently cracked open.
"Aw, poor lass... sounds like she's been through the wringer. Must've been rough—really rough. I dunnae even want tae imagine it."
Dimitri shifted his gaze to Noah, a thoughtful glint lighting up his eyes.
"My friend, maybe... just maybe, we make little room, da? One more heartbeat in team—could be good."
Noah lifted his hand, smooth and deliberate, like a conductor about to begin a symphony.
It was subtle, yet enough to pull every wandering eye toward him. The conversation quieted, breaths stilled, and the unspoken question hovered in the air.
"Alright, we'll let you join the team. But there's a catch—you've got to answer one question first. And I expect the truth. No dodging, no filters."
"I'll listen, Smith-san."
Noah blinked, his brow pulling together as if he'd tasted something slightly off.
"First off, don't call me that. Just Noah's fine. Now... here's your question."
Everyone leaned in slightly—not physically, but in presence. The moment gained gravity, like something sacred was about to unfold.
"What are the new Big Three of anime?"
Aiko didn't hesitate. Her reply came like a gentle breeze across a still pond.
"There is only one Big Three. Always has been, always will be."
Noah's grin exploded across his face like a firework going off behind his eyes.
"You're in. Welcome to the party."
Aiko turned toward the tiny orb of light fluttering beside her, glowing faintly like a curious star.
"Did you hear that, Yanagi? They said yes!"
The light bobbed up and down as if it were celebrating too.
Claps echoed from both sides—Fiona's were soft and warm, while Dimitri's were hearty, like a man clapping for the end of a good story. Their smiles were mirrors of joy, wide and bright.
"Really? That was the question?"
June tossed a shrug, her tone half amused, half resigned.
"Honestly, I've no idea what you lot are on about, but I suppose if that's the bar, we'll have chaos before sundown."
She glanced at Aiko, a rare curve tugging at her lips.
"But welcome, darling. Let's try not to get each other killed, hmm?"