Ren prayed that they would leave him alone, but he should have known any better than to leave everything to prayers.

At first sight of Ren, Lily and her cahoots went for the Guest Room from where he was standing.

"Aren't you Ren, the organizer of this event?" Kylie asked.

Based on the friendly expression on her face, Ren assumed that she didn't know he was the same Ren who they met in the Pink Salty Desert.

Was Pii all they could remember?

Without Pii by his side, wasn't he recognizable anymore? Ren was glad that they didn't recognize him, but there was also something else that he didn't like about the revelation.

And maybe because that thing with them happened a long time ago. It wasn't a year, but Ren felt that it had really been a long time. That was how disorienting the game could be. They probably had forgotten all about him.

"You look awfully familiar," said Zack, eyes narrowing to pry Ren's face beyond the hood.

Ren didn't deign to reply. And when Zack couldn't see his face, he went to his friends for confirmation.

"Don't you think that he is familiar?"

"I don't know," Josh released a weary sigh. "Honestly, I just want to take a rest."

"There are a lot of Ren that we have encountered in the past," Kylie said.

"Yeah. But none of them have a cloak like that guy we encountered in the desert." Zack went to Lily when he couldn't get the reply he wanted, but Lily was unbothered. Not one bit interested in a 'Ren who had no Pii.'

"Come on guys, I think he is the same Ren we encountered in that Pink Desert," Zack insisted.

Amongst their group, Zack was that one guy who loved to sow discord and wanted to see the world burn right before his eyes. Ren mused to himself.

Josh scratched his head. "You still remember that? I honestly don't remember anymore."

"Yeah." Kylie agreed. "It's like . . . what? Ages ago? I don't even remember the guy." She then stared over at Lily for validation. "Right, Lily?"

Lily nodded, face a mask of boredom.

"Anyway," Josh changed the topic. "Are you really the Ren who organized this event?"

It would be disrespectful not to comment if someone was at least asking nicely, so Ren nodded.

"Well, that would make things easier." Kylie breathed. "We need somewhere to rest to recover our health. The Mayor said that someone was already occupying the guest room. Are there other rooms available here where we can stay, though?"

If they didn't cause him trouble before and every time that they met, Ren would have obliged them. But their past prevented him from becoming amiable. He didn't want to help them one bit.

If nothing else, he wanted them gone.

"Go somewhere else. My companion is already asleep inside," Ren told them. If they have half the sense of a monkey, they will go away, and that would be the end of it.

But as Ren expected, Zack retaliated with a hard scowl and harder voice. "Are you the owner of this place? Who do you think you are? This place is to be shared by all players."

Ren lifted a brow. "And says who? This isn't a public inn. This is a private guest room offered to us by the Mayor himself. Do you know what that means? That means you better scram the fuck off before I ask the Elders to throw you out for disrupting his guests' sleep."

Zack caught his tongue when he couldn't grasp for words.

"But . . . aren't we guests as well?" Josh argued and wanted to enter the guest room at all costs.

"Guests?" Ren faked a surprise. He then looked at the Mayor, who was trotting in their direction. "Elder, kindly tell me who the guests are between us."

Blipoog huffed and said between breaths. "Why, of course, you are our esteemed guest. You have helped us solve our problems in the best possible way."

Blipoog then shifted his attention to Lily and the others, ran her big fog eyes over them, and uttered, "You adventurers are strangers to us."

"And who does this guest room belong to right now?" Ren asked, folding his arms.

"You, of course," the Elder said, smiling. "We have insisted that you stay the night, so it's only right that you stay here in our guest room."

Ren cocked his head to the side. "See? The Elder has spoken."

Zack ground his teeth.

Kylie seemed like she was ready to cry.

Lily's unbothered face cracked, and she scowled the first time.

Josh refused to give up. "But shouldn't there be extra beds in there? Can't we just share? If you want, we can pay you."

"There are only three beds inside," Ren started. "For you to fully recover your health, a simple nap wouldn't cut it. You have to sleep until morning, and you need a bed for that. How much are you willing to pay for that two extra beds?"

Josh went quiet, seriously considering Ren's proposals.

"You don't even need sleep." Zack resisted. "You have full HP and MP. You should just give those two beds up."

"Nothing is free in this world, little man," Ren replied, which made Zack red in anger. He looked like he was going to wrestle Ren on the ground.

Fighting was prohibited inside villages and towns, and skills and spells were null here as well. But no one, not even the law, could prevent a brawl though Zack would surely get banned if he did so.

Zack was the type of guy that was impatience and quick to anger. Ren took note. He bet with one more push, the boy would surely plunge himself into trouble.

"Look, let's just wait until morning." Kylie was the one who proposed. "They would surely be out came morning . . . right?" She looked at Ren when she said that, hoping for confirmation on his part.

Ren remained still, hands folding and silent. He thought of remaining just one more day in this village just to spite them, but that would be a very childish move on his part.

He had other important things to do than waste his time and play with them.

"What's all the commotion about?"