Chapter 101: Floor 25 of God's Domain; The Land of Pets!
....
"We're back."
Setting Shiro and Haruno down, Seito couldn't help but glance back toward the upper floors. As he was now, he couldn't exactly go on a rampage on Floor 51. There were simply too many Mini-Bosses roaming the wasteland. Fighting two at once? That was a losing battle.
"What's the plan now?" Sora asked as he landed beside him.
"Let's scout these new floors. We need to find the perfect location to drop the Deprivation Order!" Seito checked the guild roster. There were still over thirty thousand members online—plenty of boots on the ground to begin the search.
The three nodded in agreement. Soon, they all split up, teleporting to different floors to survey the local geography and strategic value.
Half an hour later...
They regrouped on Floor 42. It wasn't because they intended to conquer it immediately; rather, Seito had spotted a familiar-looking rustic log cabin. It looked remarkably like the lakeside house where Kirito and Asuna lived in Sword Art Online.
"This place is nice," Seito remarked, standing before the cabin and taking in the view.
A crystal-blue lake stretched out before them, surrounded by a dense canopy of ancient trees and lush, emerald grass. The scent of fresh pine and earth filled the air—it was a serene, natural sanctuary that made one feel instantly at ease.
"I'm thinking of buying this house and the surrounding land. Thoughts?" Seito asked.
"I love it," Haruno replied, glancing around. The refreshing atmosphere was a welcome change from the tension of the battlefield. She gave her immediate approval.
"No complaints here."
"Ditto~"
Sora and Shiro were equally satisfied. Even though they were hardcore shut-ins, they still knew how to appreciate a world-class view.
Without hesitation, Seito spent the gold and finalized the purchase.
[Ding! You have purchased the land! (God's Domain Floor 42 Coordinates.jpg)]
[Ding! Your property includes a Log Cabin.]
[Ding! You have set your Respawn Point here.]
[Ding! Teleportation access enabled.]
Seito set this as his permanent respawn point. From now on, this would be his "home" within the game.
"I've granted you all access permissions. Come by whenever you want." He opened the permissions menu, and the others quickly updated their own respawn points to the cabin.
They stepped inside. The interior was cozy and rustic: a wooden table in the center, a rocking chair by the window, and a sofa against the wall. There were three bedrooms and a kitchen. It differed slightly from the anime version, but the vibe was perfect.
Seito sank into the rocking chair. "Take a load off."
As everyone sat down, Shiro naturally climbed into Seito's lap.
"Seito-kun, searching manually is way too exhausting," Haruno complained, leaning back on the sofa. "The surface area of these floors from 21 to 50 is massive!"
She was right. The geographical scale of the upper floors was comparable to the gargantuan Floor 50. Finding the ideal territory for their guild was going to be a nightmare if they did it alone.
"True. I'll post a guild-wide announcement and have our members keep an eye out for prime locations." Seito opened the guild panel and sent out the notice.
Once that was done, he asked, "What do you guys make of this new Pet System?"
Pets were a staple trope of VRMMOs, yet they hadn't seen a single animal companion yet. This felt like a search mission best suited for Maple, but she was already offline.
"We'll probably know more once the first person actually finds one," Haruno answered. "Right now, there's zero intel."
"Haruno is right, but..." Sora chimed in, leaning forward. "We should check out Floor 25. The floor's name is 'The Land of Pets.' If there's information anywhere, it's there."
Seito stood up, still carrying Shiro. "Then let's go. Teleporting now."
.....
God's Domain, Floor 25: The Land of Pets.
The area was vast—no smaller than Earth itself. The Safety Zone was filled with whimsical, fantastical architecture. The streets were bustling with a mix of players and NPCs, creating a vibrant, noisy atmosphere.
As they walked, they noticed a high concentration of shops selling "Pet Eggs."
"It looks like this floor is the primary source for companions," Seito noted.
"Should we check out one of the shops?" Haruno asked.
"Definitely." They approached a shop that was currently swamped by a crowd of curious players.
"Boss! Give me three eggs!" a player shouted, slamming two heavy bags of gold onto the counter.
"Coming right up!" The shopkeeper beamed, pocketing the gold and handing over three mottled eggs. The player inspected them and nearly spat out blood.
"What the—?! Why are they all White-grade?!"
"It's all down to luck, traveler," the shopkeeper said with a practiced, sympathetic smile. "Your fortune just wasn't with you today."
Seeing this, Seito and the others understood the gimmick immediately. Gacha. You pay 10,000 gold per egg and pick one blindly. The quality—ranging from White (lowest) to Gold (highest)—was entirely RNG. The shop had some pre-identified eggs for sale, but the highest they went was Purple.
"How about it? Want to try your luck?" Haruno asked Seito.
"Nah, I'll pass," Seito said, turning away. These shops were clearly gold sinks. The odds of pulling anything decent were likely abysmal.
"Let's call it a night. I'm heading offline." He felt his luck wouldn't be quite right without the "Goddess of Luck" Maple by his side. He'd bring her back here tomorrow night.
"Fair enough, I'm out too," Haruno agreed.
They said their goodbyes to the Blank siblings and logged out. Seito removed his headset and saw Kanade and Amou fast asleep in his room. He climbed into bed, pulling Amou into his arms, and closed his eyes.
....
Thank you for reading.