“Who wants to meet me?”

  “Xiu Ming Kong,” Ryan repeated the name flatly, continuing his work as he spoke to Chris, “The current highest-level Diver of China.”

  “Why?”

  “The message didn’t say, only that she was requesting a meeting with you as soon as possible,” Ryan sighed, “Look, I know that the press conference was only a few days ago, but we can’t refuse this meeting right now. We need to build rapport with the other countries and their versions of the Diver’s Association.”

  “Versions?” Chris blinked.

  “The Chinese version is called the Diver’s Guild, and it is headed by the Kong family,” Ryan explained, “Yes, the same Kong family Xiu Ming comes from. Her father is the leader.”

  “I see,” Chris sighed, “So, when am I going to meet this woman?”

  “If you’re up for it, right now,” Ryan chuckled as Chris stared at him in surprise, “She’s been staying in the Diver’s Association building since yesterday. I can organize a meeting for an hour from now if you want?”

  “I, uhm…sure?” Chris muttered, looking at Ryan in shock, “Hey, uhm…do you think I should wear my armor again?”

  ------

  “Miss Kong is delighted to have this opportunity to meet you, Mr. Sanders,” the translator said as she sat beside the woman on the couch opposite Chris as he wore the tailored suit, the man trying very hard not to look at the revealing dress the other Diver was wearing, “Shall we begin?”

  “Yes,” Chris nodded as he blushed, noticing the smirk on the woman’s face.

  “Very well,” the translator nodded back, turning to Xiu Ming and saying something in Chinese, the woman replying.

  “Miss Kong would like you to know that she is interested in what you said at the press conference three days ago,” the translator explained, “Is it really true that you possess an S Rank Class?”

  “Yes,” Chris nodded, “If you don’t mind me asking, what Rank is Miss Kong’s Class?”

  The translator spoke in Chinese again, the other woman nodding as she replied.

  “Miss Kong’s Class is an A Rank Class, we cannot share any more than that,” the translator replied, pausing as the other woman said something else, before looking at her in shock, talking hurriedly until the Diver gave her a cold look, “Uhm…Miss Kong would like you to know that she also possesses a Skill that should make communication easier. It is called Telepathy, and she would like to be able to use it on you, with your permission of course.”

  “Telepathy?” Chris blinked, “So she can like, read minds?”

  And speak into them, the voice said in his head, startling him, the woman giggling behind her hand at his reaction, I apologize, I just wanted to see your reaction. Are you comfortable speaking like this?

  “I mean…sure?” Chris replied, “As long as you’re not going to try read my deeper thoughts or something.”

  I can only see your surface thoughts, the woman replied, Your Wisdom Stat must be quite high for me to not be able to go any deeper.

  “I guess?” Chris shrugged, “So, uhm…what did you want to talk about, Miss Kong?”

  Please, call me Xiu. And I am interested in your Class and Job, Xiu Ming explained, I understand that they are S and A Rank respectively?

  “Yes,” Chris nodded, “They’re called War Magister and Master Alchemist.”

  I remember from the press conference, Xiu Ming nodded as she smiled, I would like to ask how you got them, but I feel that would be too prying. I do not wish to offend you.

  “I wouldn’t be offended,” Chris chuckled nervously, “But I’m not supposed to share those kinds of things anyway, so thank you for not asking.”

  My pleasure, the woman nodded again, Now, onto the real matter of my visit. I would like to propose a union between the two of us.

  “A union?” Chris blinked, staring at her in confusion, “What do you mean?”

  Why, marriage, of course, the woman giggled again as the man blushed hard, smiling at his expression, Does that not interest you?

  “I, well…no?” Chris blustered, “I have a girlfriend! Sort of. I think? That’s not the point, I’m sorry, but I can’t just marry you like that!”

  That is quite alright, Xiu Ming nodded, I am prepared to wait. Or, if necessary, become a concubine for you.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “A what?” Chris gasped, his face turning even more red, “N-no! Absolutely not! I’m sorry, but I can’t do that! It’s against the law, anyway!”

  Who’s to say that normal laws even apply to us anymore? Xiu Ming chuckled, hiding her mouth as she gave him a sultry look, I believe I could teach you a few things that I’m sure your…current partner would enjoy.

  “T-thank you, but no,” Chris muttered as he dropped his face into his hands.

  Very well, the voice in his mind said curtly, In which case, we shall move onto the next matter. I would like to formally invite you to join me in clearing the Hard Difficulty of my family’s private Dungeon, The Petal’s Dance. It is an A Rank Dungeon, and I have already cleared it multiple times on the Easy and Normal Difficulties. However, my father has forbade me from entering the Hard Difficulty until such a time as I can find a competent party to accompany me.

  “And you think that’s me?” Chris blinked.

  You were able to successfully lead others through the Hard Difficulty of a C Rank Dungeon, were you not? Xiu Ming asked, raising an eyebrow, And you even defeated a dragon as the final Boss, according to the reports. I think you would be a perfect companion on my first attempt at Hard Difficulty.

  “I…I’ll have to ask the rest of my group,” Chris said slowly, “I mean, we all kind of agreed to wait a month before going into any other Dungeons. One of us is underage at the moment, so we’re waiting on her birthday.”

  Understandable, Xiu Ming nodded, Your loyalty to your comrades is commendable. I am prepared to wait, and it is an open invitation.

  “Then you don’t mind if I bring them along?”

  If this is the party you defeated the dragon with, then they are also welcome, the woman nodded, I look forward to meeting them.

  ------

  “So, that’s what happened,” Chris sighed as he sat in his living room with the others, “What do you all think?”

  “An A Rank Dungeon?” Elizabeth muttered, before looking up in excitement and nodding, “As long as Jess is there, I’m in!”

  “Sounds like my boy toy is quite the Casanova,” Ayla laughed, “You even managed to seduce the strongest Chinese Diver just by being on TV.”

  “It’s not like that,” Chris sighed, “I rejected her, but she was kind of insistent. Shit, I hope I didn’t mess anything up by doing that!”

  “I’m sure it’s fine,” Alan chuckled, “I mean, she still invited you to her family’s Dungeon, right?”

  “I’m sorry,” Jessica sighed as she cuddled Loppy, the large Horned Rabbit lounging in her arms, “I wish we could go sooner, but even my parents are against it until I’m eighteen.”

  “It’s fine,” Chris smiled, “We can just use this time to train ourselves and our Skills. You have Staff Fighting, right, Jess? What level is it?”

  “Level twenty-nine at the moment,” she nodded, “I didn’t use it much in the Dungeon cause I had Loppy and Aurum to fight for me.”

  “Then that’s what we should be doing,” Chris smiled, “Working to raise our Skill levels as much as possible before we go to China. What do you all say?”

  “Sounds good!” Elizabeth chuckled, nodding her head, “I want to practice with my new knife anyway!”

  “I think it’s more of a dagger,” Alan laughed, “But yeah, I need to get my new Aegis Skill up at least a few levels. It’s my first C Rank Skill, after all.”

  “So, it’s decided?” Ayla asked, grinning as she leaned against Chris again, “Time for a training montage!”

  ------

  “I’m exhausted!” Elizabeth gasped as she collapsed to the mats in the training room, panting for air, “Why do Jess and I only get to run laps while you three are practicing Skills?”

  “Because,” Ayla replied sternly, “There’s no Stat to govern stamina, so we have to make sure you two are up to snuff and can keep up with the rest of us in the Dungeons.”

  “But why?” the girl whined, “I want to practice with my new dagger! Chris has never been fit, so why is he not running laps as well?”

  “Your brother is plenty fit,” Ayla laughed walking over to the man and lifting his shirt, revealing his relatively defined abs, “See?”

  “Guess that’s what you get when you spend six months inside an EX+ Rank Dungeon,” Elizabeth sighed, the others freezing as she spoke, staring at her, “What?”

  “Wait,” Ayla said as she waved her hands in front of her, turning to look at Chris, “You were inside an EX Rank Dungeon?”

  “EX+, yeah,” Chris sighed, glaring at his sister, “It’s supposed to be a secret, but it seems someone has a big mouth.”

  “Sorry!” Elizabeth gasped, “I was too tired to think properly, and I just kind of blurted it out.”

  “Well, it’s out now,” Chris sighed, “But I’d appreciate if you guys wouldn’t go spreading the information around.”

  “Of course not, man,” Alan chuckled, “I mean, I’m a little annoyed you didn’t trust us to say sooner, but I’m sure we all get it.”

  “No wonder you’re so strong,” Ayla hummed, pressing herself up against Chris, “You survived in a Dungeon that difficult all on your own? How’d you manage to stay sane?”

  “I may have gone a little crazy at a few points,” Chris chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her waist, surprising the woman, “But I came out the other end stronger, so I don’t regret it.”

  “I’ll say,” Ayla purred as she pressed her face into his neck.

  “And this is the main training room,” the voice called out as the door swung open, the five of them turning to look at the people entering, “Ah, it seems it’s currently occupied, sorry about that.”

  “Wait, Captain?” Alan blinked as he walked over to the man, “What are you doing here?”

  “Oh, Baxter, it’s you,” the captain smiled, looking past him at the others, “And Rogers and Chris, as well as the other two. Great to see you all again!”

  “Same here,” Chris nodded as he released Ayla, walking over as well, “What are you doing here though? I thought you were with the military?”

  "We were, not anymore though. Whole squad got pulled out though after the Dungeon Dive by the Director," the man chuckled.

  “But what are you doing here, though, captain?” Alan asked again.

  “I’m a Diver, officially registered and everything,” the man laughed, “And you can just call me Brian, I’m not your Captain anymore. Anyway, I need to finish giving these new recruits their tour, then we’ll use one of the other training rooms to test out their Skills.”

  “Hold it,” one of the men behind him shouted, stomping forwards, Chris recognizing him as the guy from the press conference, “I recognize you! You’re the bastard with the fancy armor! Not so tough now that you don’t have it on, are you?”

  “Bradley,” Brian barked, glaring at the man, “Enough. Chris is an S Rank Diver, you shouldn’t start a fight with him.”

  “Fuck that!” the man called Bradley growled, pointing at Chris as he glared, “You and me, right here, right now!”

  “You know what?” Chris smiled as he glanced back at the others, “Sure. But we’ll need to put some rules in place first.”

  “Rules?” Bradley spat, “Yeah right!”

  “I won’t use any active Skills, only my passive ones,” Chris replied, the smile still on his face, “You can use any and all of yours.”

  “Oh?” Bradley grinned cruelly, “Then get ready for the beatdown of a lifetime, asshole!”