[Outside the corridor where Jake and his team were currently mining.]
The guilds had teamed up against the rich, the hot, and the irregular. Those nicknames were used instead of Prince, Sin, and Jake's real nicknames.
No one wanted to call a man Prince, and even female players cringed at the thought of calling someone this way.
Oddly, this nickname was even available so late into the game!
No one, however, was surprised that Archer's nickname was available.
That said, no one also wanted to admit that they had been killed by an archer. It was much better to call him the irregular, as no archer had ever done this much damage in a low-level dungeon!
In hindsight, even Grin Grid wasn't famous at early levels. She didn't leave any mark behind, and her fame rose after high-level players noticed the lone oddity hunting down at high-level grounds with the bow and arrows.
As for Sin's nickname, all male players agreed she was beautiful and deserved a nickname since her other teammates got one.
She couldn't have been left behind, could she?
Perhaps it was an excuse to call her hot. She apparently got mad at anyone calling her like that. The first healer who had fallen dead to her sword had stressed that enough.
It made players want to trigger her more.
An angry beauty was a different kind of beauty.
Everyone was also more liable to be toxic on the Internet, let alone the virtual immersive world with their looks different or hidden behind equipment.
One of the groups from the said guilds halted before a corridor draped in darkness. It was impossible to see through it, and natural sources of light were foreign to it. No one could see even a drop of light here.
That said, the sounds were a different matter.
Rough and loud screams were bouncing off the corridor's walls, reaching the entrances.
"You heard that?"
"Yeah, someone must be mining in a loud way."
"Ora? Damn mate, what kind of sound is that?"
"It can't be that rich prick and his irregular friend! Nah, it for sure can't be that rich bastard! As if he would mine! He'd buy hundreds of ores or ingots and flex them to us, the poor! I hate him to the bone!"
"I agree! The idea of picking up a pickax must have never crossed his mind! Like a rich, spoiled brat would resort to any hard work!"
"True! True! Let's search somewhere else and leave those idiots alone!"
The team decided not to search this particular corridor, where Jake and Prince were racing against each other to mine as many ores as possible.
-
Jake and Prince's race ended in ten minutes.
"What?" Jake narrowed his eyes.
Prince harrumphed, "Times are changing, my dark horse. I'm the actor... I have been in various movies, dramas, and series, and all of those are soon to be replaced by the immersive reality game! My scene is about to change! Here will be where I'll make everyone smile, cry, scream, and love me! This is an art!"
"I guess that's true... I can see that happening," Jake nodded.
Prince smiled, "I'd dare to say that my movie has already started! You're part of it!"
"Ugh..." Jake didn't know what to think. He was too overwhelmed by this revelation.
Prince patted his shoulder, "Movies get edited even ten times before coming to cinemas. My dark horse, you might be only a past I fondly recall in the movie. Who knows? Cheer up! I like you, so don't make such a face!"
Jake nodded, "So, in short, you were learning about the game system and fantasy on the tutorial island?"
"Ye," Prince nodded, "Players get a real feeling of blood and hazard in this world. It's much different than on the scene, so I needed much time to learn and adapt. I've spent a lot of time... I won't lie about it to you. But I made it far and even conquered The Unconquerable Mountain! I conquered all my fears and weaknesses!
I even stood loyal to my dark knight persona—the antihero—and decided to turn around and not kill the newbie helper! I dropped myself off The Unconquerable Mountain's spire and woke up on the mainland! That was such a thrill! The art straight from the depth of my soul! I wrote it! I lived it!
I was so damn free!"
Jake looked at Prince much differently.
He wore a friendly and lovely smile.
This man didn't kill Richard.
He must have appreciated Richard's help and presence.
Richard also must have enjoyed Prince's struggles to become the knight.
Jake's view of Prince took such a turn that he could see them becoming good friends.
On the other hand, Sin stared at them with indifferent countenance.
Jake's smile, however, bothered her.
If her story were revealed to him, she would be subject to his smile, which she had seen quite a lot as Jake killed their enemies with his Joker Mask draping his face like a second skin.
That cruel smile would take her on.
Sin felt a tingle of excitement as she thought about it.
A rare smile curved her lips up.
Unaware that his sister looked like a devil, Prince crossed his arms and announced, "I won the challenge!"
Jake clicked his tongue, "Rich Gigolo."
"No way you're calling me a gigolo already! Don't be like my manager!" Prince contorted his face, though it was easily seen that he had done it humorously.