“Those two have changed,” Leonel said as he grumpily hammered his [Silver Pickaxe] against the hard stone nonstop. “I thought Mike would understand. It’s a life that’s on the line. Nothing could be more important than that. It’s just an item!”


    Leonel was sad, disappointed, and angry at the same time with Michael and Saya that he didn’t even find Ren’s appearance funny.


    Ren was turned into a furry ck dog walking on two legs wearing mage garbs. It was amazing that he could even hold a tool in his paws. Moreover, he acquired a temporary set of skills from the Kobolds. But all were rted to mining. Like fifty percent increase in mining speed and another increase in LCK, so what he’d get from the stones were guaranteed precious.


    “I mean, Mike is rich! He didn’t have to work a day in his life. Roz needed it more than he. How could he be so . . . so . . .”


    “Selfish,” finished Ren while he happily stored another batch of stones in his inventory. He was even thinking of buying an apartment if he has his millions. Then save for a property in the Billionaires Haven.


    If he was going to dream, he might as well dream big.


    “Yes! Selfish! How can he be so selfish? And Saya? How can she even side with Mike when he is in the wrong?”


    “Leo.” Ren finally faced Leonel and gave him the side eye. “They always had been selfish. It’s just . . . we tolerated it in the past because they bribe us. Remember the free lunches, movies, and what not.”


    Leonel was silent for a moment, eyes over the ceiling, thinking. “Now you mentioned it . . . I guess they have been.”_.


    He then stared at Ren with eyes wide. “But this time, it got worse!”


    Ren stifled augh while he faintly shook his head and returned to mining.


    There was a short silence before Leonel asked with a serious voice and face, “Does this mean . . . we’re no longer friends? All those years of friendship . . . gone?”


    “. . .” Ren paused. There was sadness in Leonel’s voice. And Ren had to admit that he was sad in the past, too, when Mike and Saya suddenly cut ties with him without rhyme and reason.


    Now, however, he was long over it.


    “Sometimes, things aren’t meant to be,” Ren said, “no use in trying to mend what’s already broken, Leo. You’ll just cut and hurt yourself. If they don’t want to stay in our life, let them. Their are many who will.”


    “. . .”


    There was no answer, and Ren went back to hammering his pickaxe. He only wished that Leonel would forget about Mike and Saya. But knowing his friend, once those two are in trouble again, Leonel would be there, for sure. Just like what happened to him in the past.


    Ren took a deep breath and released it through his nose.


    “Forget it. Talking about those two makes me depressed.” Leonel then changed the topic and got back to mining.


    “By the way, how long will we do this?”


    “Until the update, of course. Didn’t I tell you that the amount of gil will get will reduce after the in-game currency is established? If we want to be rich overnight, don’t stop mining.”


    Leonel groaned. “This is kind of boring. I even forgot what day it is, or is it day or night in here? Aren’t you bored doing the same thing every day?”


    “No,” Ren answered straight to the point. “Money motivates me, and if you want to buy that pod, you have to mine nonstop.”


    “Agh . . .” Leonel grumbled under his breath, but he never stopped hammering his pickaxe until his hands turned sore.


    On the side, Ren was thinking of apartment hunting within that one week that the game was updating. So by the first month of ss, he could move out and have his own ce.


    Ren was getting excited that he hammered his pickaxe even more like his life depended on it. There was nothing, absolutely nothing that could make him stop.


    [You received a message from Evie!]]


    Watching Ren almost boring a whole till the ends of the earth’s core like a lunatic, Leonel shook his head. There was a faint red glow surrounding Ren, and his silver eyes were burning red with enthusiasm. Leonel knew there was nothing that could stop Ren at that moment.


    So he was shocked when Ren suddenly paused and looked at his screen. It seemed like he was reading a message. Ren’s usual poker face cracked, revealing a small smile, then it changed to a frown.


    Curious, Leonel scurried beside Ren to take a look, but only Ren could see his screen.


    A short while ago, while Ren was enthusiastically mining, his notification rang. He got curious about where it came from since he had already blocked most of his contact list.


    He was surprised to find that it was Evie and a small smile tickled the side of his lips as he opened her message.


    But his smile fell right off his face when he read its content.


    [Evie: Ren. We got wiped out in Illusion Forest. There’s a Hidden Boss there that had a very low skill cooldown, and our numbers and ATP aren’t enough to defeat it]


    Ren was silent for a moment, and he recalled the timeline in his head. Evie did enter Illusion Forrest but not that early.


    He thought it wouldn’t matter since Illusion Forrest wasn’t that hard. It wasn’t even a mid-difficulty area.


    Nevertheless, Ren was feeling guilty again because Evie had to start from scratch because of him suggesting to go there. A Hidden Boss EXP penalty must have been enormous.


    Ren was thinking of what to reply, but he suddenly had a stomach ache like he was nervous or something. He wanted to make it up to her, but his mind had other ideas.


    [Ren: Is that so]


    Ren sighed and wanted to hit himself. His unconsciousness probably wanted revenge for her short ‘we’ll do’ in the past days.


    [Evie: I’m wondering if you’re busy.


    If not, can you help defeat the Hidden Boss with us?


    I have nothing to offer . . . but I have acquired an Epic Quest. Maybe it can suffice as payment for your service?]


    “. . .”


    Ren nked out.


    When he didn’t reply after a minute, Evie followed up her message.


    [Evie: If you’re busy, then it’s fine]


    “What’s going on?”