DXD: Table for one - Chapter 5

POV: Merlin

Asuna and Merlin both watched the girl as she approached.

Level 2 wasn’t anything too impressive even though it’s the first day of this death game, but Merlin had already noticed most players in the Town of Beginnings were still stuck at Level 1. Even Asuna had only reached Level 2 today after hunting down several stronger monsters while he played the tank for her.

What really caught his attention about the golden-brown-haired girl—aside from the fact that she had been spying on them—was her gear.

Most players, even the ones who had started venturing outside town, were still wearing the most basic starter equipment, maybe with one or two better pieces if they’d gotten lucky. At this point in the game, anything better than starter gear could only come from quest rewards. Even the sword in Merlin’s hand was from the town’s starting blacksmith, who only had one weapon of each type in stock. And those types were basic—one-handed sword, two-handed sword, dagger, spear, and so on.

But this girl? She was fully kitted out in equipment that wasn’t sold in any starting shop. That meant she had completed multiple quests with gear rewards… And considering how little time had passed since the game began, she had either been absurdly lucky or knew exactly where to find those quests.

Then there was the glowing eyes thing. That observation skill wasn’t something new players had access to.

She had to be a beta tester.

When she reached them, a small smirk played on her lips. “So. What do you want, Mr. NPC?”

Merlin’s gaze flicked above her head. Instead of a name, there was only a green cursor. Curious, he glanced toward Asuna—same thing. Her name was gone, replaced by the same green marker.

That was different from before at Menchi’s Place. Could it have been part of Menchi’s restaurant system and not SAO’s standard interface?

“I’m not an NPC,” Merlin said with a grin himself. The girl’s eyes shifted upward toward his cursor, confusion flashing across her face.

“What the hell? What’s “white” supposed to mean?” she asked, sounding genuinely surprised. “That color never appeared on any floor.”

“White?” Merlin echoed. Then it clicked. Looking up, he spotted it himself—a white cursor floating above his head.

In SAO, players had green cursors, orange for criminals, NPCs had green or yellow, and monsters had shades of red that darkened the stronger they were, up to black. White wasn’t on the list at all.

“Probably because I’m not an NPC, and the system doesn’t know how to classify me,” Merlin explained. “But that confirms it—you’re a beta tester.”

Her expression instantly shifted to something more guarded. “Yeah, I’m a beta tester. What about it? And what do you mean you’re not an NPC?”

“No need to be suspicious,” Merlin said in a calm tone. “We’re not looking to cause trouble. In fact, we’ve been looking for beta testers because we’ve got a unique opportunity—one that could save a lot of players’ lives.”

“How about we start with introductions?” Asuna stepped in with a friendly smile. “I’m Asuna.”

“The name’s Argo,” the girl replied, eyes still fixed on Merlin.

“And I’m Merlin,” he added. “Not an NPC, not a player. But you’ve already figured out something’s weird just from my cursor color.”

“Your level’s weird too,” Argo said flatly.

“You can see my level? Must be that skill that made your eyes glow,” Merlin said. “Anyway, I’m here because Asuna wandered into a… special place today.”

A short explanation later, Argo stared at them with an expression halfway between disbelief and suspicion. Which was fair—he had just told her the multiverse was real, that a restaurant connected multiple worlds, and that he was here in SAO with his real body.

“Nice try,” Argo said with a laugh. “But I don’t buy it.”

“Then how do you explain my white cursor and the fact I can’t open the system menu?” Merlin countered.

“System error.”

“My level?”

“Part of the same system error.”

“You’re really suspicious, you know that?” Merlin sighed, sounding a little annoyed.

“Couldn’t we just show her the restaurant?” Asuna suggested.

“And why would I go with you?” Argo raised an eyebrow. “For all I know, it’s a trap. What do you even want from me?”

“Think about it,” Merlin said, his tone shifting to something more serious. “I can leave this world anytime and bring back items from different worlds. We’ve got a version of Japan, for example—imagine the kind of things I could buy at a supermarket there. At the same time, we don’t want the restaurant to become public knowledge. If Kayaba Akihiko finds out about it, he could shut it down or worse. Our plan is to form a guild of trusted people, spread better items to other players, boost crafting professions, and come up with every exploit we can to save as many lives as possible. That’s why we need a beta tester like you.”

He met her eyes directly. “So… do you want to give us a chance to prove we’re telling the truth?”

———

“Mmmh, this is amazing! Menchi, you’re a great cook!” Argo exclaimed with her mouth half full, practically inhaling the burger. “And check out these effects—half an hour of powerful HP regeneration and… wait—an EXP bonus of 100% for the next six hours? That’s… that’s mid-game-level food buffs on day one! That’s pretty much already game-breaking!”

“Thank you, Argo,” Menchi replied warmly, watching the girl’s excitement with a pleased smile.

Asuna, eating her own burger at a slower pace, tilted her head and asked, “So… do you believe us now?”

“I do!” Argo said without hesitation.

“That’s great,” Merlin said, his expression turning serious. “Then let’s get to business. We need to start planning if we want to save as many lives as possible. What do crafting professions need? Do you know any players we can recruit for our guild—people who can learn those professions? We’ll also need skilled fighters for the front lines, people we can give the best gear to for boss raids. And if you have any other ideas on how to exploit this Death Game to our advantage, now’s the time.”

Argo nodded, but instead of answering, she studied him closely. “I can help with all of that,” she said finally. “Honestly, I was already planning to work as an information broker to help as many players as I could. But there’s something bothering me…” Her eyes narrowed slightly. “What are you getting out of this?”

Merlin smirked. “Why only me? What about Menchi?”

“Menchi didn’t decide her restaurant would suddenly start connecting to other worlds,” Argo replied flatly. “She’s just rolling with it. Her intentions are easy to understand—she cooks, she sells food, and she gets customers. It’s still her business, just… weirder than normal. You, on the other hand, are a lot more suspicious. You just show up out of nowhere, risk your life in a monster-infested world you don’t belong to, and act like you have nothing to gain. And your level’s too high for someone who claims not to be a player. Or a normal human at all.”

Merlin chuckled. “Nothing to gain, huh? Then let me explain my situation a little better.” His voice lost its humor. “In my world, I’m at the bottom of the ladder strength-wise. Socially, I might as well be a slave—not that they call it that. I’m not allowed to leave the territory I live in, and I work as a peasant, getting squeezed dry so the local lords can get richer. Think of a Middle Ages feudal society, and I had the bad luck of being stuck under some of the worst lords you can imagine.”

He patted the sword at his hip. “Take this, for example. The starting weapon you all get here? In my world, it would still be considered a cheap, low-quality weapon. But back home, weapons are so heavily restricted that it would take me decades of saving to afford one like this. The only reason I’m allowed to even touch one or buy one is because of my job—hunting demonic beasts. And before you think that sounds impressive, the weakest of those beasts are strong enough that I have to go all out just to have a chance of killing them. Encounters with stronger ones are the norm. Usually, I work with a team and rent a weapon just to survive.”

His expression hardened. “So yeah… even this basic sword is already a big gain for me. And while I don’t have access to your game’s system, I’ve noticed something. Every time I kill a monster here… I feel something change inside me. Like I’m actually getting stronger. Maybe even being able to level up in the future.”

“Uh… sorry for being so suspicious about you earlier,” Argo said, scratching her cheek awkwardly. “But… do you even have the funds to help us with all this?”

Merlin waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t sweat it. And no—I never said I had the funds for everything. That’s why I’m planning to make this transactional and turn myself into a sort of trader. Menchi’s world actually has a way for me to earn some decent starting money. Sure, I might take a loss at first—because you guys don’t exactly have deep pockets right now—but think about the potential your world offers.”

Argo tilted her head. “Potential?”

Merlin’s grin widened. “It’s a video game world. Right now, we’re in the early stages—early-game items aren’t too hard to get. But later? Imagine a sword from Floor 80. Or better—Floor 90 and above. And if your system allows item upgrades, maybe it’ll even work on gear from another world. There’s a ton for me to gain, whether it’s strength… or wealth.” He leaned forward slightly, his icy blue eyes locking with hers. “So, Argo… Are you willing to trust me?”

She stared at him for a long moment, as if weighing every word. Finally, she nodded. “I do. Sorry about all the doubt before. I get your point now.”

“Me too,” Asuna said with a small, appreciative smile.

“It’s no problem,” Merlin replied easily. “I understand where you’re coming from too. Now—where do we start? What’s the plan?”

Argo crossed her arms and thought for a moment. “Hmm… first off, I agree with you—this place has to stay secret. It’s worth too much to risk exposure. As for people we can trust… I know a few players from the beta. I can recruit them, though they’d be more suited for boss-clearing duty than anything else. I will keep an eye out for more trustworthy players.”

“I met a friend earlier today,” Asuna added. “This was before Kayaba made his announcement. She’s not connected to him at all and was just as shocked as we were. I can keep an eye out for more people like her.”

“That works,” Merlin said with a nod. “So, what should I get first? I need the most efficient items—stuff that makes a real difference early on. Keep in mind, I’ll need to make money in Menchi’s world first before I can buy anything too expensive.”

“First Aid Kits,” Argo said immediately. “They unlock the First Aid skill, and that can be used in combat. Normally, the earliest players could get one would be on the fifth floor through a quest—and even then, the supply’s limited. They’re not that expensive, but they can save a lot of lives. We could sell them for a fair profit without gouging anyone, and it’d give you a solid starting fund. Until then, players will have to rely on food items, which can’t be used mid-battle.”

“Got it,” Merlin said, jotting the note down on a piece of paper Menchi had lent him. “What else?”

“Cooking,” Argo answered without hesitation. “The earliest cooking stations available are campfires, made with a fire-starting kit. Those only show up on Floor Three. Later on, lighters act as the upgraded version and have more uses. If you can bring us lighters now, we can start cooking way earlier and make food buffs available for everyone. These two are probably the cheapest to set up right away.”

“Alright. What about weapon and armor crafting?” Merlin asked, looking up from his notes.

“For blacksmithing, you’ll need a hammer and anvil,” Argo explained. “Those are pricier but still doable. The tricky part is finding where to buy them if you’re not ordering online—and I don’t think you are able to order something on the Internet without a legal identity in a different world. For clothing, you just need a sewing kit to unlock the seamstress job.” She paused mid-thought, and her eyes suddenly widened. “Wait! Get us a fishing rod—plus hooks, bait, and tackle!”

“Why?” Merlin tilted his head, unfazed. “And don’t worry about ordering stuff. I can just ask Mikami—he’s another customer here. Lives in an alternate version of Japan. He can get whatever we need.”

“That’s good to hear,” Argo replied, clearly relieved. Then her expression brightened as an idea struck her. “In the Beta, there was this guidebook you could buy on Floor Ten. According to it, there’s a fishing profession you unlock on Floor Twenty! But here’s the best part—it works on any floor that has water. That means not just catching fish and rare loot, but also fishing up monsters. That solves one of the biggest problems early on: the limited EXP pool.”

Merlin raised a brow. “Wait. If the profession is from Floor Twenty, wouldn’t the monsters you pull up be… Level Twenty or so?”

Argo smirked. “Closer to level thirty, actually. But don’t worry—the game’s got anti-griefing mechanics. You can’t just drag high-level mobs into low-level areas to wipe out newbies.” Her grin widened mischievously. “But if we fight them ourselves? That’s a mountain of EXP right there.”

“Makes sense,” Merlin admitted with a shrug. “Still, I should be there when you try that out. Better safe than sorry. Beta info isn’t guaranteed to match the official release.”

Asuna frowned slightly. “Wouldn’t that put you in danger too? Level thirty mobs are at least eight levels higher than you. And your gear’s not exactly great right now.”

“Yes, but I think the ‘level’ system is just a rough numerical value for overall stats,” Merlin replied calmly, trying to ease her concern. “There are… certain factors that make me stronger than my level suggests.” He didn’t elaborate, carefully avoiding the fact that he wasn’t human like the others but a devil with naturally higher physical stats. “Anyway, Argo—anything else we should add to the list?”

Argo’s eyes skimmed the paper in front of him. Then she tapped her chin in thought. “Sword Art Online basically only has close-range weapons. Later on you can get throwing knives, but that’s still short range. If you could get us actual ranged weapons—guns, bows, whatever—that would be huge.”

Merlin leaned back, considering. “Hmm… Japan’s going to be tricky for that. Maybe sports bows, but I’m not sure how effective they’d be against game monsters. And gun laws there are… well, strict. In my own world, proper weapons are way out of my price range. If I started buying them in bulk, I’d also attract the wrong kind of attention.”

Menchi, who had been quietly listening, suddenly spoke up. “If you become a licensed hunter in my world, you get easy access to weapons, including guns. For now, I can handle the procurement if you want.”

“Would they even work in SAO?” Merlin asked.

“No idea,” Argo admitted with a shrug. “But it’s worth testing. If they do work, ranged combat could save a lot of lives.”

Merlin nodded slowly. “Alright, then, here’s the plan. First, I’ll go to Japan—well, Mikami’s Japan—and pick up first aid kits and lighters. I’ll also grab some snacks to see if they give any buffs. After that, I’ll head to Menchi’s world and work on getting more funds. Heaven’s Arena might be a good place to start earning quickly.”

“Sounds good,” Argo said with a grin as she grabbed Asuna’s arm, pulling her towards the exit. “In the meantime, I’ll take Asuna and run a few quick EXP quests. We’ve still got almost six hours of double EXP left—no point wasting it!”

———

Over the next few days, Merlin never actually made it back to his own world. Not that he was in any rush. There wasn’t much waiting for him there anyway—not until he was ready for the Mid-Class Exam and strong enough to leave the Naberius Territory without running the risk of an “unfortunate accident.”

For now, he had everything he needed in the various worlds he could reach through Menchi’s Restaurant. In fact, he’d become one of her most frequent customers—so much so that Menchi often started preparing an order fitting his usual requirements the moment he stepped through the door, without him even saying a word.

At the moment, he was living in the Heaven’s Arena in Menchi’s world. Climbing the tower hadn’t been much trouble; he had already reached the 100th floor with ease, getting a room as a privilege. From that point on, though, he deliberately held back, pacing his progress so he could squeeze as much money as possible out of each victory while continuing to climb.

During his downtime, Merlin started acquiring goods the Sword Art Online players might need. Every transaction was wrapped in his innate Contract Magic, turning even a simple trade into a formalized deal that granted him extra benefits in the form of points he needed to reach a higher rank as a devil. Each successful deal also brought him a step closer to qualifying for the Mid-Class Exam. Without magical senses, no one noticed a thing. To outside observers, it all looked like routine business.

His daily schedule had become almost clockwork. Mornings started with a fight in the Heaven’s Arena—matches where he focused on keeping his physical abilities close to his opponent’s level so he could practice hand-to-hand combat while still earning prize money. After that came the item runs: tracking down whatever gear or supplies he needed to fulfill his contracts with Argo. That brought in even more income and added to his exam qualifications.

Once his errands were done, he spent the rest of the day inside the game world. There, he hunted mobs, practiced swordsmanship, gained EXP, and picked up a little extra money along the way and some items, especially better weapons. It was a grind, but an efficient one.

Three times a day, he stopped by Menchi’s place for meals. She always cooked for him personally, preparing high-grade dishes made from the best ingredients for training and physical enhancement. Thanks to those meals, his body was improving at an incredible rate—his muscles were denser, his movements sharper, and his reflexes faster. Yet, strangely, his demonic power reserves weren’t growing nearly as quickly.

Something about his body was different from other devils, though he had no idea why. The mystery nagged at the back of his mind, but for now, all he could do was keep training, keep dealing, and keep climbing.