C.S.O.

 December 27, 2039.

Snow falls heavily, turning the entire city white and cold.

It has been a week since Kuro hasn't logged into the world of CSO.
Besides the reasons that traumatized him, this was also because he was busy with the real world.

Christmas parties and part-time work were the main reasons why he hadn't logged in for several days.

A bookstore was the place where he had been working part-time lately.
Apart from not being too busy during Christmas, he could also spare some time to read.

On the other hand, Ruko spent her time logging into the world of CSO.
Besides the specific events organized by the GM (Game Master), the difference in weather between CSO and the real world was the main reason.

– January 1, 2040.

Kuro and Ruko went to the shrine together to pray.
It was just the two of them because Chiaki couldn't join them.

Ruko was wearing a beautiful and eye-catching red yukata (kimono) that drew the attention of others.
She looked like a heavenly goddess, so it was not surprising that she always became the center of attention.

After throwing some money, Ruko clapped her hands twice and prayed.
Kuro did the same not far from Ruko.

“Onii-chan, what did you wish for?”

“?”

After finishing their prayers, Ruko asked out of curiosity.

Kuro glanced at her and walked away as there were still many people waiting in line to pray.

“Onii-chan, what did you wish for this year?” Ruko asked again.

“Ah…
I wished for fewer problems in my life.”

Especially problems caused by Ruko.

“?!”

Suddenly, Ruko tightly grabbed Kuro's arm.

Since this had happened before, Kuro allowed Ruko to do it even though they would be mistaken for a couple.

“Aha ha…
Onii-chan, did you have a lot of problems last year?”

“Everyone always has problems in their lives.
Including me.
Oh yeah, don't hold on too tightly, or people might misunderstand.”

“Who cares about them? They're just jealous of Ruko.”

Kuro sighed.

“You…”

Ruko just laughed softly.

The two of them then left the shrine and headed back home, which wasn't too far away.

Normally, people would gather with their friends to celebrate the new year, but Kuro and Ruko quickly returned home due to the lingering cold.

“Onii-chan, why aren't you playing CSO anymore? It's been over a week since you last went online, right? Honestly, did something happen?”

Something did happen, but Kuro couldn't possibly tell Ruko.
It could cost him his life.

“Not really.
Onii-chan just doesn't feel like playing CSO at the moment.
But don't worry, Onii-chan will be online on your birthday.
Is that okay?”

Ruko's birthday was on January 16.
It was two weeks away.
There was still plenty of time, so Kuro didn't feel the need to rush.

“Alright, but let me tell you one thing, the conquest of the Demon King is about to begin.
If possible, I want to do it together with Onii-chan…”

Due to not being online, Kuro had missed a lot of information.
One of them was the start of the conquest of the Demon King.”

“Hmmm…
is it time already? I guess I'll just observe the situation.”

“Now that's my Onii-chan.”

Ruko smiled happily.

A few days later, Kuro went to school as usual.
That meant the third semester had started and the holiday break was over.

The air was still cold, so it wasn't surprising to see many people wearing scarves and jackets to ward off the cold.

After school, Kuro went straight to the dojo for practice, but this time, it was only a short session. 

After taking a shower, Kuro logged into the CSO world.
Today, he planned to just gather information and log in briefly.
Besides, he had to prepare dinner for Ruko.

Various colors are distorted.
After a bright light, Kuro arrived in a city surrounded by tall trees.

-Aders City, Alfheim.

The city was one of the largest in Alfheim.
It was located near the Demon King's dungeon and was one of the closest cities to the Heaven Gate.

This was the last place Kuro was online, so it was natural for him to be there.

Unlike the real world, which was cold, the whole of Alfheim was currently experiencing hot weather like a tropical forest.
That's why many people chose to be online because of the stark difference in weather.

Kuro then walked towards a place where he could gather information, but after a few steps, a message appeared.

“……….”

Kuro immediately swallowed hard.
He hesitated, very hesitant, to open the message from Flamia.

Trembling and preparing himself mentally, Kuro finally opened the message.

Kuro's eyes widened as he saw how long Flamia's message was.
If written on paper, it would probably take up more than 30 sheets.

Kuro put his hand on his forehead.

“This girl is terrifying…”

After sighing, Kuro read the message after looking for a restaurant.

The contents of Flamia's message were complaints about Kuro not being online.
There were even some rude words that slipped in, making Kuro a little scared.
But there was one sentence that made Kuro break out in a cold sweat.

['Don't try to escape or i will spread photos of us kissing'.]

It was the most terrifying threat Kuro had ever heard.

(It seems I've met a demon, and now I'm trapped with that demon.)

Realizing his fate, which could be described as either lucky or unlucky, Kuro could only sigh deeply.

At that moment, he received a new message.
The message was from Flamia again.
This time, the message was short, but it made Kuro need to leave immediately.

['Meet me in the Hurz Forest right now.
You know what will happen if you don't come, right?']

With no other choice, Kuro finally headed toward the Hurz Forest.
He left the city and summoned his beloved Skeleton Dragon, commanding it to fly to the Hurz Forest, the place where they first met (as far as Kuro could remember).

After about 15 minutes, Kuro arrived in the Hurz Forest.
He landed and then dismissed the Skeleton Dragon since it was no longer needed.

Kuro then walked through the forest to find Flamia.

Indeed, they had promised to meet, but the Hurz Forest was quite vast.
It would be difficult to find someone without a specific meeting point.

Unfortunately, Kuro didn't need to do that.
He could guess where Flamia was right now.

…and he was right.

Kuro found Flamia waiting for him at the place where they first kissed, which was also a bad memory for Kuro (if it could be called a bad memory).

In Kuro's eyes, Flamia resembled a girl waiting for her lover under a tree.

Kuro approached.

“I'm here, so what's the mat-“

“[Fire Chain]”

Before he could finish his sentence, Kuro was already bound by the chains of fire.

“Again? Can't you stop doing this? Honestly, it hurts my pride enough.”

Flamia placed her hands on her hips and looked annoyed.

“It's your punishment for avoiding me for over a week.”

“I have a life in the real world.
Don't compare me to a NEET like you.”

“NEET? What's that? I don't understand, but never mind.
You're here now, and I guess I'll be satisfied after kissing you.
Honestly, this past week felt strange for me not to meet you.
Hm…
Yes, it was an unpleasant feeling.
I don't want to experience it again.
Do you understand?”

“How would I know? Now, let me go! Do you know what it feels like to be kissed while being tied up? Honestly, I feel like a victim of sexual violence in a game!”

“But if I let you go, you'll run away.
I don't want that.”

“Fine, I won't run away! But can you release me?”

“….promise?”

Kuro nodded.

“A promise not to run away?”

Kuro nodded repeatedly.

“If you run away, I'll do something even more to your body.”

Kuro nodded once again, but at that moment, he realized something.

“Something more? What do you mean?”

While confused, the chain of fire binding Kuro's body disappeared without a trace.

Kuro's body moved freely.
He could escape, but…
he didn't do it.

When Kuro saw Flamia slowly approaching with a blushing and shy face, Flamia's beautiful face seemed to freeze Kuro's heart, rendering him unable to move.

Finally, the distance between them was zero.

Kuro could clearly feel Flamia's breath, and the warmth of Flamia's body when they touched each other.

Their intense and mesmerizing gaze made Kuro's body slowly kiss Flamia on its own.
Their lips met.
Flamia didn't resist and even kissed Kuro more passionately.

Unconsciously, Kuro held Flamia's body to prevent her from leaving.
Flamia did the same.

They kissed.
They released and kissed again, like a pair of lovers intoxicated by passion.
The world around them fell into a silent stillness as if only the two of them existed.

Ten minutes passed.
They didn't let go of their kiss.
In fact, when Flamia tried to pull away, Kuro didn't allow her lips to escape, and Flamia eventually got trapped in ecstasy.

“Kuro……”

“Sorry, but you forced me…”

Kuro locked Flamia's lips once again and didn't let her go or evade.

Although Kuro tried to restrain himself, his body now seemed no longer under his control.
It didn't want to stop, even though Kuro's mind told him to.
Flamia's beauty had taken over Kuro's body.

After 30 minutes, Kuro finally released Flamia.

Flamia slumped weakly, gasping for breath.
Meanwhile, Kuro remained silent with a flushed face.

(Ah…
I really did it…)

Kuro couldn't believe what he had done to Flamia.
But it was already done.
There was no reason to regret it.

Kuro extended his hand.

“Are you alright?”

“….Ye…
ye…yes…
I'm…
fine…
It's just…
something really…
different…”

Flamia accepted the extended hand and stood up.

“Of course.
Kissing and being kissed are two different things.
Can you feel it?”

Flamia nodded.

“I can feel it.”

Kuro then sat down and leaned against a nearby tree.
He sighed inwardly and gave a small smile.

“Do you know, kissing like this doesn't mean I don't like it, but I hope to do it for a more special reason.”

“Special?”

Flamia sat down next to Kuro.

“Yeah.
In my opinion, a kiss like that won't make feelings of dullness or obligation arise.
Do you know what I mean?”

“…I don't know.
Since earlier, I haven't understood what you're talking about.
But if you're telling me to stop doing this, I don't want to.
Honestly, that kiss made me realize that I want to do something more with you.”

“Something more?”

That was a little bad news for Kuro.
Perhaps.

“Yeah.
Like hunting monsters together or conquering dungeons together.”

“Oh…
I see.”

Kuro immediately chuckled dryly.

“Alright, I should log out soon.
I have to prepare dinner.”

“Huh…
didn't you just log in? Why not stay a little longer?”

Flamia whined like a little child.

“Sorry, but my purpose for logging in today was just to check the situation.
Because of you, I feel like I'm running out of time.” Kuro stood up.
“Don't worry, we'll meet again, right?”

“Yes, you're right, but…
but…” Flamia stood up and put on a complicated expression.
“Fine, but before you go-“

Flamia suddenly kissed Kuro out of the blue.
It was just a brief kiss, but it was enough to startle Kuro and make him almost jump.

“Don't forget about me even when you're in the real world.”

Kuro simply smiled faintly.

“How could I forget?”

Kuro then summoned the Skeleton Dragon and headed back to the town of Aders.

Before flying far, Kuro glanced at Flamia, who was slowly becoming invisible.
After she disappeared, Kuro sighed inwardly.

“What am I actually doing?”

Until now, he didn't understand.

He kissed Flamia because he couldn't refuse Flamia's desire.
Honestly, for Kuro, kissing Flamia wasn't a bad thing.
What kind of man wouldn't be happy to kiss a girl as beautiful as Flamia?

However, for some reason, this kind of kissing started to bring forth a feeling of guilt in Kuro's mind.
A feeling of guilt towards Ruko for doing this secretly.

During confusion and turmoil, Kuro's detection skill warned him about the presence of a Liber nearby.

Kuro glanced at the place where his skill detected the Liber.
Finally, Kuro saw the figure of a petite Liber dressed in gothic lolita attire.

Liber's dressing style could be customized according to each person's taste and didn't have to adhere to the game's rules.
It was common to see one or two people dressed in gothic lolita in CSO.

But that Liber was someone Kuro knew.

“If I'm not mistaken, it's her…”

Kuro flew low and landed not far from the girl.

The girl smiled slightly and approached Kuro.

“Long time no see, Kuro-niisan.”

“Long time no see, Verona.
By the way, what are you doing here?”

Kuro had known Verona for quite a while.
They met in Nilfheim, precisely when Verona saved Kuro while he was in Nilfheim.

When Kuro faced one of the Monster Bosses, Kuro almost died.
It was then that Verona saved Kuro by slashing the monster.

From the power Verona demonstrated at that time, Kuro knew Verona was one of the top players like Ruko.

After that incident, Kuro and Verona's relationship became quite close.
They even added each other to their Friend Lists.
However, they rarely met and only communicated through telepathy and messages.
This is the reason why Kuro couldn't stay silent when seeing Verona. 

'Ufufu…
I should be the one asking what Kuro-niisan is doing in such a secluded place.
Uhmm…
could it be that Kuro-niisan is doing something secretive?' '

Ugh…' Verona's precise question immediately made Kuro panic.

 'I-I'm just practicing a skill, ahaha…' 

'Is that so…
but I don't think you need a secluded place to practice a skill.'

Once again, Verona cornered Kuro.
'I'm practicing a secret skill, so I can't show it to others.
Do you understand?' If the skill in question is kissing, Kuro would answer 'yes' right away.

 'A secret? Could it be some sort of skill to charm girls?' 

'Bffftghh…' Kuro couldn't hide his surprise.
He panicked and started sweating. 

'W-what do you mean by skill to charm girls? Is there really such a skill?' Kuro quickly changed the topic to avoid it. 

'Oh well, why is Kuro-niisan blushing? You know I was just joking, right? Fufu.' 

'You…
when will you stop teasing me?' '

Teasing? I was just asking as usual.
Or…
are all my questions actually true?' 

'Gu…
of course, none of them are true, ah…
never mind, if there's nothing else, I'll excuse myself.
There's something I need to do in the real world.'

 'Oh, why the rush? At least accompany me for a meal before you go.' 

'Hmm…
sorry, but i  have to…' 

'I made it with a newly learned cooking skill.
Won't Kuro-niisan give it a try? If not, then it seems my impression of Kuro-niisan has been wrong all along.' 

The player can create their own food, but to make delicious dishes, a high cooking skill is required.
Kuro doesn't know about Verona's case, but he knows he became the subject of an experiment

The problem is, Kuro can't refuse her.
'Alright.
I understand.
I'll taste your cooking.
But where is it?'

 Verona conjured a picnic basket.
With a similar skill to auto-use/player item, rarely do players see a menu to take items.

Verona then opened it and showed its contents, a delicious-looking sandwich.

Kuro sat on the grass.
He took one sandwich with his right hand.

'………'

He hesitated a bit before eating it, but when he saw the tempting sandwich, Kuro immediately ate it without hesitation.

Verona, who witnessed it, simply smiled.

'Hmm…
not bad.'

Just ordinary.
Not too tasty, but not too bad either.

Perhaps it's because Verona's cooking skill isn't very high yet.

'?!'

Kuro was suddenly shocked as his body couldn't move.
It felt as if his body had turned into a statue.
Kuro then collapsed on the ground, his face turning blue. 

'Poison?'

Kuro realized he was affected by a bad status.
Or in simpler terms, he was poisoned by something deadly. 

'Oh?…
it seems my cooking wasn't good.'

'This is not just not good, but a dish that can kill.'

Kuro used an antidote to neutralize the bad status.
His body could move again normally.

'Ha…
I almost died.'

'Why does it seem like Kuro-niisan is saying that my cooking is the most dangerous thing in the world?' 'Don't you realize you created the most dangerous thing in the world? Well…
never mind…
I should go now.' Kuro stood up straight away. 

'Thank you for the meal, but I think it will take a long time until your homemade dishes can be called food.'

'Buuu…
Kuro-niisan has no feelings.' Despite Verona pouting, Kuro just laughed softly.
He knew Verona wasn't really angry.

'If your cooking improves, I'll gladly eat it whenever you ask, Verona.'

'Oh? Are you sure, Kuro-niisan?'

'Of course, why not?'

'Then I'll happily cook for Kuro-niisan every day.' Suddenly, Verona's face turned red

 'Ah…
I'll be looking forward to it.' Kuro then leaped and got on the back of the Skeleton Dragon that had been waiting for him.

After waving goodbye, Kuro finally parted ways with Verona.
He logged out after arriving in the city of Aders.

The next day, Kuro went to school as usual.
He always arrived at the last minute, which usually led him straight to class.
Kuro's homeroom teacher entered the classroom.
The teacher's name was Frenda Fukiho.
She was half English and half Japanese.
Aside from her large bust, her blonde hair gave a unique impression. 

'Alright, I will take attendance first.
Akana Abashi.'

'Present.'

 After finishing attendance, Frenda smiled softly.

'Alright, no one is absent today.
That's why we will have a test today.'

The students immediately frowned.

'Huhhh…
seriously?' '

We just started the third semester…
Frenda-sensei, are you serious?

'Unfortunately, I'm not joking.' Frenda replied.

'You better not protest and start working on the questions on your PCs.'

Everything was computerized now.

That also applied to the student's learning media.
With specially made desks,

students only needed to write on the screen using the pen tablet provided by the school.
Additionally, a floating transparent screen in front of each student displayed the subjects and questions they had to work on.
The students could access various information from the school's database, so they didn't have to worry about forgetting the material they had just learned.
As for the test questions, teachers usually created them and automatically sent them to each student's computerized desk.

'Now, start working.
You have only one hour.
So use your time wisely.'

All the students finally began working with serious expressions.
But not Kuro.
The test was merely a way to assess how well the students absorbed the lessons.
There was nothing to fear or worry about.
If you studied, you could answer the test questions well.
In the end, the exam went smoothly without any significant issues.
The school day was about to end, and Kuro prepared to go home.
That's when two people suddenly entered his classroom and greeted him. 

Yo Kuro!' 'Kuro-san.'

One of them was a girl with shoulder-length hair and a red hairpin.
She was quite cute.
The other one was an average-looking young man with short hair. 

What brings you two here to see me, Fumiko, Yuya?' If they were in the CSO, the two of them would be Umi and Leo.

Unlike Kuro, their faces are quite different from the characters in CSO.
The fact that they are in the same school is just a coincidence.
Fumiko and Yuya are in different classes from Kuro.
It's not surprising that they don't know each other even though they attend the same school.

Their meeting can also be considered a coincidence during the combined sports lesson.
Fumiko and Yuya were the first to realize it.

“You're as cold as usual, Kuro-san.”

“I hate to say this, but your character is a bit annoying.”

“This is just how I am.
If you only want to complain about my nature, we should just end it because I'm in a hurry and don't have time to discuss this.”

Kuro stood up and took his bamboo sword.

“Ha…
you're like this.
Try not to take things too seriously.”

“Yes.
Kuro-san is too serious.”

“And both of you are too relaxed.
Now, can you tell me the reason for your visit?”

Fumiko and Yuya looked at each other and nodded simultaneously.

“Kuro-san, do you have free time after this?”

“Not really.
I just want to go home and practice at the dojo.
Is there something important you want to discuss?”

“Yes, that's right,” Yuya answered with a smile.
“There's a small matter we want to discuss with you.”

Kuro could guess the topic they were going to talk about.

“If you're talking about CSO, I think there are others more suitable than me.”

“Don't joke around.
You know the reason why we only want to discuss it with you, right?”

Yuya smiled thinly like a fox.

The reason they only wanted to discuss it with Kuro was that they were embarrassed.
Compared to Kuro, who had reached Alfheim, Yuya, and Fumiko were still stuck in Midgard.
Unlike Kuro, they played CSO slowly and focused on having fun.
This usually made their levels rise more naturally.

The second reason why they only wanted to discuss it with Kuro was that they were both beginners in CSO.
If Fumiko and Yuya asked for advice from veteran players that easily found at school, all they would get were spoilers, and that made them lose interest.

“Alright, I understand.
So, where should we discuss it? We shouldn't talk about it at school, right?”

“Regarding that, Fumiko and I have prepared a karaoke place for the discussion.
Isn't my idea brilliant? We can discuss while having fun.”

“Your idea is too ordinary.
Don't you know that?”

“Ugh…
I don't want to hear that from someone who never has fun.”

“…………..”

“What?”

“Never mind.
If you've prepared the place, then we should go there quickly.
You know I don't have much time, right?”

Fumiko and Yuya smiled together because they were able to make Kuro do something considered rare.
Kuro was quite famous for being reserved and rarely socializing.
That's why there was a rumor that if someone could invite Kuro out, they would be lucky.

Certainly, Kuro was not aware of this rumor.

The three of them then left the classroom.
Suddenly, an announcement could be heard.

“Attention, Kuro Kanata, a student from class 1-3, please come to the teacher's room as soon as possible.
I repeat, Kuro Kanata, a student from class 1-3, please come to the teacher's room as soon as possible.
Thank you.”

The three of them stopped walking and wore puzzled expressions.

“What have you done?” Yuya asked.

“Don't ask me.
I also don't know why I was called.”

“So that news was true”

“What do you mean? Well, never mind.
I will finish this as soon as possible.
You wait at the gate.
If I don't come out in more than 15 minutes, we should cancel it.
Do you understand?”

“Why are you talking as if you're going to die?”

Kuro ignored Yuya and walked towards the teachers' room.

Meanwhile, Fumiko and Yuya walked toward the school's exit and waited for Kuro at the gate.

They didn't know the reason why Kuro was called, but they heard that Kuro's class was having an exam.
If that's the case, maybe Kuro was called because they got a zero.
…Maybe.

After about 10 minutes, Kuro finally came out and met Fumiko and Yuya.
They didn't expect Kuro to be faster.

Yuya and Fumiko immediately looked curious because Kuro looked upset.
That was a bad sign.

“Kuro-san, is there a problem?” Fumiko asked.

Suddenly, Kuro smiled.

“You don't need to worry.
I did have a problem, but it's resolved now.
And I don't think I'll be called to the teachers' room again.”

“Huh??!”

They were immediately curious about what Kuro had done.

“We better forget about this and leave.
Just a note, I won't sing even if you force me.”

“Uu..uh..
we don't think that's a big deal.”

The three of them then went to the karaoke place that was frequented by school students like Kuro.

Meanwhile, from the teachers' room window, Frenda sighed while holding the printed results of the test done by Kuro.

The number 70 was clearly visible on the paper.
70 was a common score for most students, but not for Kuro.

For two semesters, Frenda had started to suspect because Kuro always got a score of 70.
Even almost all of Kuro's scores, both in sports and regular subjects, were 70.

Yes, Kuro seemed to intentionally get a score of 70.

This was what made Frenda conduct a test to confirm her suspicion.
And her suspicion was confirmed when she saw Kuro's test result which was 70, even though the questions made by Frenda were three times more difficult than the ones given to other students.

“………”

Frenda sighed once again.

She called Kuro to the teachers' room to get an explanation, but what she received was an unexpected threat from Kuro.

[Have you ever heard the saying 'knowledge can sometimes get you killed'? Frenda-sensei doesn't need to know why I did this.
You just need to give me a score according to the results I obtained.
Isn't that the duty of a teacher? This is my final warning, so don't call me unless it's something important.]

When Frenda remembered Kuro's words, she felt a bit annoyed and wanted to protest, but the principal immediately came to meet Frenda and explained that Kuro intentionally got a score of 70 for a reason.

And what surprised Frenda was that the principal also warned her about the same thing.

“Kuro Kanata, …who are you really?”

Curiosity overwhelmed Frenda.
No, anyone would immediately be curious in a situation like Frenda's.

“I better stop before my bad habits emerge.”

Frenda then went to her desk and continued her work as a teacher.
On that day, she decided to stop seeking answers.

At the karaoke place, Kuro, Fumiko, and Yuya sat while enjoying the snacks they bought.

Usually, most people would sing at a karaoke place, but since their purpose was not to sing, they decided to sing after discussing their problem.

“So, can we start?”

“You're always like this, but it's okay.” Yuya sighed softly before continuing.
“You know we're still in Midgard, right?”

Kuro nodded.

“Frankly, there's a unique Quest that we want to complete.”

“Then, what does it have to do with me? I think you won't have any difficulties thanks to the data I gave you.”

The data Kuro provided was information about monsters previously given by Chiaki and Ruko.
With that data, Yuya and Fumiko could easily defeat monsters and carry out missions.

“Kuro-san is right, but this Quest is a bit unique and we're having trouble completing it.
That's why we discussed it with Kuro-san to ask for help.”

At that moment, Kuro realized something slightly strange.

“By the way, what Quest are you doing?”

“The 'Story Writer' Quest,” Yuya answered.
“Do you know why we discussed it with you?”

“…….”

Kuro could only narrow his eyes.

Story Writer is a unique Quest where players are required to become story writers.
The story will then be directly performed by NPCs, like a drama performance.

The goal of this Quest is to provide entertainment to the audience, who are also NPCs.
The success level of this Quest is determined by how satisfied the audience is, and that's what makes it categorized as a difficult Quest.

What's unique about this Quest is the reward that Liber receive if they successfully complete the Quest.
The usual reward is an item, but the main reward of this Quest is a rare and unique skill called [Imagine].

The Imagine skill allows Liber to freely change the skills they possess.
That's why this skill is categorized as a super ultra rare skill.

For example, there's the [Fire Ball] skill.
It's a skill that allows Liber to create a fireball.
But by using [Imagine], Liber can change the shape of the fireball according to their desires, like a triangle or a square.

Although the effect and attack power don't differ, if used properly, the Imagine skill can become one of the most dangerous and deadly skills.

Kuro is one of the Liber who obtained the [Imagine] skill.
And he had proven its power.

He didn't use that skill too often because it was extremely rare.
Kuro wasn't reckless enough to become a PK target.

The reason why Yuya and Fumiko knew about it was because Kuro told them.

“We have completed the Quest multiple times, but all we got were useless items.”

“Kuro-san has completed that Quest before.
We actually didn't want to do this, but there's another Quest that we want to do as soon as possible.”

If you want to do something else, why do you keep doing it? That's what Kuro was thinking after hearing that.
But they probably wanted to obtain the Imagine skill because they saw the long-term benefits.

“I understand your situation, but I'm not sure I can help much because that Quest is different from regular Quests and can't be compared to math problems.”

The success level of the Story Writer Quest is the satisfaction level of the audience.
It's something difficult because it's uncertain.

Compared to Quests that involve defeating monsters, Story Writer has a significantly different level of difficulty.

“We know that, that's why we at least want to get some guidance from someone who has completed it.”

“Kuro-san, please help us.”

Fumiko looked pleading and desperate.
The same went for Yuya.

Kuro sighed softly and sipped his soda.

“Please don't misunderstand.
It's not that I don't want to help you, but I don't know if my help will be useful or not.”

Fumiko and Yuya immediately smiled happily.

“We know that.
Now, can you tell us?”

“Hmmm….”

Kuro closed his eyes for a moment as if he was thinking or trying to remember something.

“…before that, there's something I want to make sure of first.
Are you only writing stories in Story Writer?”

Yuya and Fumiko nodded simultaneously.

“What's wrong with us just writing?”

“Isn't that the quest?” Fumiko added.

After hearing that, Kuro sighed softly.

“No wonder you failed.
Right from the start, you did it wrong.”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

“Don't you remember about CSO? This game has realistic rules.
Did you think it only applies in the game? You're wrong.
Every quest in CSO also follows realistic rules, so even if the quest is simple, you can't underestimate it.”

After thinking for a moment, Yuya began to understand the connection with the Story Writer's quest.

“Hey…
are you saying that the Story Writer quest is not just about writing a script?”

Unfortunately, Kuro nodded in agreement.

“Story Writer is a quest to create a script for the NPC to perform.
In other words, we create a drama script.
Now, after writing the script, what do you do?”

“In a real drama, we would choose actors suitable for the characters, so you mean we have to do that too?”

“Yes.
You have to do it.”

“Seriously?”

Fumiko and Yuya immediately looked exhausted and confused.

“Unfortunately, yes.
Another special thing about Story Writer is that this quest doesn't have to be completed in a single day but in 3 days.
During those 3 days, we have to finish the script and choose NPC actors who fit the characters we created.
This is where the biggest challenge of this quest lies, but we don't have to worry, as long as the NPC we choose is suitable and appropriate, we will succeed in completing the quest.”

Story Writer is not an easy quest.
It's comparable to creating real drama within the game.
For inexperienced people like Fumiko and Yuya, this is a big problem.

“As an additional factor, there is one more thing that determines the level of success in this quest, which is improvisation.”

“Kuro-san, what do you mean?”

“Can you explain it?”

“What I mean by improvisation is when we are faced with unexpected situations, like when an NPC makes a mistake because their role doesn't fit.
That's when we sometimes have to change the storyline or replace the actor as quickly as possible.
Do you understand?”

Kuro's words made them understand why they always failed to complete the quest, but there was one thing that made them curious.

“Before that, did you also face difficulties like us?”

“Who do you think I am? Of course, I faced difficulties too, but I knew what to do from the beginning, so I didn't struggle too much and only needed two attempts.”

“Eh? Two attempts?” Yuya exclaimed with widened eyes.

“We failed more than 10 times.
Did you know that?”

“Of course, I didn't know.”

“You monster.”

“Is that what I get after helping you?”

“Aha ha…
we were just kidding,” Fumiko said with a small smile.
“We're very grateful, but after hearing that Kuro-san only needed two attempts, it's natural for us to think that way.”

“Yeah.
Fumi-chan is right.”

“You guys…” Kuro sighed.
“Well, forget it.”

Suddenly, Kuro stood up and prepared to leave.

“Why the rush?”

“You already know my habits, so I don't need to explain it again.
Besides, I'm not going to sing, right?”

“That's true, but why not have fun with us once in a while?”

“Don't make me repeat it.”

Kuro ignored Yuya and Fumiko and opened the door, but before leaving, Kuro looked back at Yuya and Fumiko.

“Actually, I just didn't want to disturb your date.”

“Huh?”

“Eh?”

Kuro then smiled.

“Goodbye and enjoy your date.”

After the door closed, Kuro disappeared from sight.

“………..”

“………..”

Meanwhile, silence filled the room after Kuro left.

Both of them realized that Kuro had a point, but one thing made them curious.

Do they appear as a couple in the eyes of others?

———————————————————————————–

Several days passed since then.

Thanks to Kuro's advice, they managed to complete the quest and obtain the [Imagine] skill.

Fumiko transformed the [Ice Spear] skill into a rain of thousands of ice spears, while Yuya transformed the [Fire Tornado] skill into a dragon and bird-shaped fire.
That was just a small part of what they could do with the [Imagine] skill.
This is what makes the [Imagine] skill so special.

Currently, Kuro was logged in.
He was in the city of Aders.

Of course, he didn't forget about the kiss with Flamia on that day, but after it was over, Flamia and Kuro went their separate ways because of something.

If you say they were alone, that wouldn't be quite accurate.

Not far from them, about 50-60 Liber were busy preparing for a raid.

They were all members of one of the strongest guilds, Ouroboros.
Chika and Anna were among them.

Currently, they were preparing to conquer the Demon King.

Conquering the Demon King was categorized as one of the toughest Raid Quests in CSO.
A Raid Quest consisted of 6 parties, each composed of 6 Liber.
36 Liber in total for each Raid Quest.

There were millions of guilds in CSO, which was normal considering that there were over 2 billion players worldwide.
Among those millions of guilds, there were a hundred guilds considered the strongest.

Ouroboros was one of them.

With more than 10,000 members, Ouroboros was known as a fairly strong and dangerous guild.
However, they were only ranked in the 30s.

Since the conquest of the Demon King could only be done once a day, usually a lottery was held to determine who had the right to fight the Demon King first.

And today was Ouroboros Guild's turn.

Each guild would usually send their best Liber.
In other words, everyone present there was a top player.

“Onii-chan…”

Anna (Ruko) approached Kuro, waving her hand.
It made Kuro feel a little embarrassed.

Next to her, Chika (Chiaki) walked calmly beside Anna.

The white-haired witch and female knight now approached Kuro.

“Can you please not do that? It's embarrassing.”

“What's embarrassing about it? Isn't it normal for a younger sibling to greet their older sibling?”

“………..”

Kuro fell silent because what Ruko said was true.
Kuro glanced at Chika, who seemed indifferent.

“Don't look at me.
I have nothing to do with this.”

“….I don't think that way.
But is it okay for you to come here? Aren't there still many things you need to prepare?”

“It's okay.
Onii-chan doesn't need to worry.
We've prepared everything, and now we just need to wait for someone annoying.”

For some reason, Anna didn't look pleased.

“An annoying person?” Kuro asked in surprise.

“She just doesn't like that person.
Kuro-chan doesn't need to worry about it.
I just hope you can cooperate with her, Anna-chan.
You know we have a rare opportunity to get assistance from one of the Valkyrie Maidens.”

“I know that, but I still don't like her.”

“I'm more curious why you dislike her even though you haven't met her yet.”

“Now I understand why Anna doesn't like someone she hasn't met.”

“You…
stop being a brocon for now.”

“Why should I stop? I'm not wrong about this.”

“Let it go.
As long as you can cooperate with her, I won't make a fuss about it.
Remember, this may be our only chance to defeat the Demon King and get a 10 million yen reward.”

One of the reasons why many people wanted to conquer the Demon King as soon as possible was the money they would get from defeating him.

Initially, such a large reward was considered fake, but after the conquests of the Demon King in Midgard and Nilfheim, money became the biggest motivation.

“When it comes to money, you always lose control, Chika-chan.”

“I need a lot of money to buy a new PC, you know that, right?”

“Yeah…”

“By the way, who is this Valkyrie Maiden?”

After remaining silent for a while because he didn't understand what they were talking about, Kuro finally asked.

“Oh…
they are just 7 NEETs,” Anna answered unhappily.

“Don't joke.
I know you're telling the truth, but now we're relying on those 7 NEETs.”

“I still don't like this.”

“Don't be selfish.
We can't defeat the Demon King without their help.
You know that, right?”

“Yeah…
that's what makes me unhappy.”

Anna truly looked displeased.

“Um…”

“Oh…
sorry, Kuro-chan.
We got a bit carried away.
…Ahem…
Valkyrie Maidens are the designation for the 7 strongest female Libers in CSO.
Now we're asking for help from one of them.”

“Oh…
I didn't expect there to be people like that in CSO.”

“Now you know why I called them NEETs?”

Kuro nodded.
Somehow, this conversation reminded him of someone.

It was then that a fiery bird monster flew past them at high speed.
The bird monster was one of the legendary monsters, Phoenix.

Everyone immediately smiled happily and looked at the monster with joyful expressions.
More precisely, they were looking at the figure of the Liber standing on top of the Phoenix.

Suddenly, a human figure gracefully leaped from the top of the Phoenix.
The figure was a girl with red hair, wearing a chest plate and carrying a sword at her waist.

Flamia landed perfectly, while at the same time, the Phoenix disappeared in the air.

“Sorry, I'm late.
I had to prepare a few things.”

A short-haired blue-haired woman approached Flamia.
The woman was the leader of the Ouroboros guild.

“It's alright.
We should be grateful that you're willing to help us.”

“Don't mention it, Tera.
We're good friends, so I'm happy to help you.”

“Yeah…
I'm glad to hear that.”

The two of them shook hands and smiled at each other.

Their camaraderie was evident as if they had known each other for a long time.

“We're lucky that Tera knows Flamia.
Otherwise, we wouldn't have gotten her help.”

“Yeah.
Look how arrogant she is.
Huh? Onii-chan, is something wrong? Don't tell me you've already fallen in love with that NEET? Grrr…”

A sword was held against Kuro's neck.

“Can you not jump to conclusions? I remember seeing that girl before.
I didn't expect her to be so famous.
That's all.”

“….
For some reason, I don't believe what Onii-chan just said.”

“I feel the same way.”

Because Chika added fuel to the fire, Kuro got into bigger trouble.

But when he glanced at Flamia, Kuro now understood why Flamia didn't want anyone to know that they knew each other.

Unfortunately, as Kuro remembered what they had done, he felt completely trapped in the snare of demons.

“..?”

Suddenly, Flamia smiled faintly while glancing at Kuro.
It seemed that only Kuro noticed it.

Flamia suddenly seemed to be discussing something with Tera.
It was at that moment that Tera also glanced at Kuro and nodded a few times.

Tera suddenly smiled faintly and walked toward the three of them.

“Anna, Chika, do you know this young man?” Tera asked while looking at Kuro from bottom to top.

“Don't look at Onii-chan like a pervert.
He's my older brother in the real world, so of course, we know each other.”

“Kuro-chan is my childhood friend.
I know him from the outermost and innermost parts.”

For some reason, Chika's words sounded a bit eerie.

“Oh…”

Meanwhile, Tera seemed interested in the fact that Kuro was Anna's brother.

“So, this is the beloved Onii-chan of yours? He's quite handsome.”

“Grrrr…
don't get too close.
Onii-chan belongs to me.”

“Hey…”

Kuro wanted to protest, but he didn't do much when he remembered there was a sword at his throat.

“Tera, is there something you need with Kuro-chan?”

The only one who remained normal realized Tera's intention.

“Ah…
actually, Flamia said that your brother here is quite strong and will be useful in conquering the Demon King.
So I just wanted to make sure, but…
he's just average.”

“Don't underestimate Onii-chan.
You know, even though he's only level 67, Onii-chan made it to this town.”

“Huh? Are you serious?”

Everyone would be surprised to know the facts about Kuro.
Especially his level.

“Okay.
Sure, but why does that woman know about Onii-chan?”

“She has seen Kuro-san fight before.
I think I understand why she suggested bringing Kuro-san along.
By the way, what special skills does Kuro-san have?”

“Errrr…..”

Kuro was confused and didn't know how to answer.

Like most RPGs, Liber in CSO usually specializes in one or two skills.
However, Kuro has more than 60 different skills, and none of them are special.

But he remembers his favorite skill.

“I am a summoner.”

Summoner.
They are Liber who specialize in summoning monster skills.
Summoners can be considered quite rare in CSO.

“A summoner, huh? Can you summon one of your summoned creatures?”

“Err…
okay.”

But which one?

Actually, Kuro is more of a Necromancer because he resurrects the monsters he kills.

Out of the hundreds of monsters he has killed, he only keeps a few of them in his collection.

Kuro then remembers that he has a unique and powerful monster.

“Summon [Byakko]”

A white tiger with two tails appears not far from Kuro.
The tiger immediately roars, capturing everyone's attention.

That's normal because Byakko is one of the most dangerous and powerful legendary monsters.

“Hmm…
Byakko, huh? That's a good monster.
Alright…
you pass, I agree that Kuro-san joins us in defeating the Demon King.”

“Huh?”

Kuro is slightly surprised to learn that he will be joining the group to defeat the Demon King.

“W-Wait a minute.
Is it really okay for me to join?”

“Just relax, Onii-chan.
Isn't this a great opportunity?”

But that's not Kuro's concern.

“Hey, but do you forget what happened when I faced monsters?”

“…………”

“………..”

Anna and Chika immediately fall silent, understanding Kuro's point.

During their time in Alfheim, the three of them fought together to assist Kuro.
It was then that Anna and Chika realized one slightly troublesome thing: most of the monsters they encountered went berserk.

Berserk is a condition where monsters become more ferocious and use their special skills.
Not only that, but the levels of monsters that go berserk usually increase rapidly.

This condition could be considered very rare, but for some reason, almost every monster Kuro encounters goes berserk, as if someone intentionally caused it.

The problem is, what if the Demon King goes berserk? That would be a big problem.

“Ahaha…
I don't think the Demon King will go berserk that easily.
So don't worry, Onii-chan.
…maybe.”

“Hey…”

“Never mind.
There's no harm in Kuro-chan joining us in conquering the Demon King.
This might be a good opportunity to see the Demon King up close.”

Although Chika's comparison of the Demon King to an animal in a zoo seems off, the Demon King appears to be a fierce beast.

Kuro sighs.

“Whatever.
I don't care anymore.”

And that's how Kuro ended up joining the Demon King conquest.

One thing that surprised Kuro a bit was that he was at the same party as Flamia, Chika, Anna, Tera, and Hono.

Some of them were people Kuro didn't know, but it wasn't a big problem.

After that, they all headed to the Dungeon where the Demon King was located.
Most of them flew using their wings, while as usual, Kuro rode the Skeleton Dragon with Anna.

The Dungeon where the Demon King resided was a large cave.
Several Liber were guarding the entrance to the Dungeon.
This was mainly to prevent cheating or secretly conquering the dungeon.

36 Liber entered the cave slowly.
Although the lighting was minimal, Kuro could still see even without using Night Vision skills.

After about 10 minutes of walking, they arrived at a door big enough for three large trucks.

“Everyone, we will soon face the Demon King.
Don't forget our formation and do as we planned before.”

Tera stopped to give the final words.

Suddenly, Tera glanced at Kuro.

“Kuro-san, as a Summoner, your position will be alongside the healers, which is at a considerable distance.
This way, you can summon your monsters more freely.”

“I understand.”

Actually, Kuro could fight at close range, but he was in a Raid.
He couldn't be selfish and position himself in a place that would cause chaos because he was an outsider.

“Alright, let's begin!”

“”””””Ooohhhhh….!!'”””''''

Everyone looked excited, especially Flamia, Anna, and Chika.

They opened the door simultaneously.
After that, they entered a quite spacious cave, about half the size of a soccer field.

Twinkling lights like stars replaced their lamps.
Not only that, one by one, torches with blazing red flames lit up as if welcoming them.

At the same time, a red mist appeared from the empty air.
The mist slowly condensed and formed a figure.

“Have you arrived? Everyone, quickly get into your positions!”

After hearing Tera's command, everyone scattered and positioned themselves according to their fighting styles.

10 Liber stood in the front row.
They were close-range fighters who used swords and spears as their main weapons.
Flamia, Anna, and Tera were in that group.

13 Liber with a medium-range fighting style stood at a distance.
Usually, a Liber of this type had stronger magic skills than sword skills.
This made their defense weaker, so 7 Liber specializing in defense skills were tasked with protecting them.

The rest are support members whose task is to restore HP and MP.
They are positioned the farthest away and provide the safest spot.
Kuro is in that group with Chika.
Once everyone is in their respective positions, the red mist has fully transformed.

It stands at about 7 meters tall.
It is red, muscular, and has a terrifying face.
It has two spiral horns and large fangs.
It has four arms and wields a large, dangerous double-edged red sword.
Its only defense is a circular shield made of rusted iron.

Akaku

Level 380

Not only is it a high-level monster, but Akaku also has 7 HP bars.

At first glance, Akaku appears to be an unbeatable monster, but no one thinks that way.

A roar breaks the silence and shakes the ground.
However, no one retreats or shows fear.
They all appear enthusiastic and exude fiery determination.

They will win.
It is this confidence that makes every member of the Ouroboros Guild fearless.

The same applies to Kuro.
His gaze becomes sharp.
His concentration level rapidly increases.
A heavy aura begins to emanate from him.
Now, Kuro is like a different person within the same body.

Chika merely smiles as she witnesses the change in Kuro.
Their long-standing relationship since childhood allows her to understand what is truly happening to Kuro now.

“Utilize all your abilities in this battle.
You know what will happen if you don't, right?”

Tera gives the final encouragement before the fight begins.

“Ouroboros, it's time to hunt!”

“”””””'”'Oooooooooouuuuu!!””””''''””

Cheers fill the area, marking the start of the battle between the Demon King and Ouroboros.

Note:

=> As the final enemy, the Demon King is the strongest monster.
With a win rate of 90%, guilds intending to defeat it require thorough preparation.
At a minimum, they must have SSR-level equipment.

=> There are 7 Valkyrie Maidens in CSO.
Among them, Flamia is the most frequently seen in public.

=> Most of Kuro's skills are active skills.
He has very few passive skills due to his low level.
To compensate for this weakness, he relies more on the skills he possesses in the real world.