DXD: Table for one - Chapter 4

POV: Merlin

It didn’t work.

Or rather, Mikami’s world was completely different from Asuna’s. They weren’t from the same Japan.

Asuna had given him several phone numbers to try, but most were out of service, and the few that did connect reached complete strangers—people who had never even heard of her.

The result hit her hard. The cute girl with long chestnut hair that shimmered with hints of orange in the light and warm hazelnut eyes looked down, shoulders trembling. Realizing she couldn’t save more innocent lives… it crushed her. That weight, combined with the stress of being trapped in a deadly video game, was more than most could bear.

Merlin, noticing her mood, decided to step in.

“While you might not be able to warn the outside world,” he said calmly, “you still have other ways to help.”

She muttered without looking up, “Like what? How could I change anything? I’m just one person…”

“Are you? What are we then? Chopped liver?” Merlin replied with mock offense, earning a small chuckle from Menchi.

“From what I understand, you’re still early in the game,” Merlin continued. “And as you reach higher floors in Aincrad, you’ll unlock more features—things like crafting, rare materials, right?”

“I guess so. That’s what I’ve heard,” Asuna admitted, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Well, there’s your first point,” Merlin said, leaning back. “We can bring you stuff from our worlds—things that give you a head start. Materials, tools, weapons, buff items, food… you name it. It’s basically cheating, but screw it—you’re trapped in a death game. My funds are limited, so we’ll need to make trades, but it’s a start.”

Menchi tilted her head, curious now. “What else are you planning to help them?”

Merlin smirked. “Isn’t it obvious? You.”

“Me?” Menchi blinked.

“Think about it. You’ve got access to rare ingredients with special properties. And Asuna is literally a game character. Even normal food gives her buffs. Imagine what your cooking could do—better healing, stronger attacks, faster recovery. That could be the difference between surviving a boss fight and wiping out.”

“You’re right!” Asuna’s eyes lit up. “We only have bread right now, but even that gives light healing. If we had better food…” She trailed off, already picturing it. And maybe—just maybe—she wouldn’t have to live on bread for weeks until the situation improved.

“See?” Merlin said with a shrug before turning back to her. “You’re new to Sword Art Online, right? Was there a beta test before this? I can’t imagine governments approving full-dive VR without extensive testing.”

“There was,” Asuna nodded thoughtfully. “About a thousand players. I heard they even got to pre-order the official game.”

“Perfect,” Merlin said, leaning forward. “Find some of them. Their knowledge will be gold for getting you guys ahead of the curve. I doubt they were limited to the first floor during testing. They should know what you’ll need for crafting jobs, better gear, efficient leveling… all of it.”

“Makes sense,” Asuna admitted, “but how am I supposed to find them?”

“That’s the risky part,” Merlin replied. “But there’s a small window where it’ll be obvious. We’ll need to move toward the later stages of this floor. Experienced players—especially in a death game—will rush for the best quests and best rewards. That’s where we’ll find them.”

Asuna’s eyes widened. “Wait… You said, “we”?

“Of course,” Merlin said with a grin. “I’m coming with you. My world’s more dangerous than these early floors. Even if I’m weak in my own world, I should have a comfortable advantage here—assuming I can even enter. And one more thing: we don’t make this place public knowledge.”

“Why not? If we want to save lives, shouldn’t we share the advantage?” Asuna asked, worried.

“Think about it,” Merlin said seriously. “The guy who trapped you here is probably among the players, playing in the world he made. If he notices we’re breaking his game, he could cut us off—or worse, remove us entirely. That’s why we form a small, trusted guild. People who know the game, have the drive to help others, and can quietly spread the items and advantages we bring—without drawing the wrong kind of attention. Do you have some cash?”

“I do?” Asuna blinked, then slowly nodded.

Merlin turned toward Menchi. “Check if you can exchange my money for their currency. I don’t even own a weapon here… I’m going to need one.”

In his own world, whenever he went on demonic beast hunts, he always had to rent a weapon. It ate into his earnings every single time and, more often than not, left him with barely enough to cover his expenses.

Unfortunately, in the Naberius Territory, weapons were tightly controlled and ridiculously expensive. The nobles of the Naberius family had no interest in arming the common people. After all, tyrants giving the masses access to weapons was a perfect recipe for rebellion.

———

POV: ?

Deep beneath the surface, in a research chamber buried far underground, the air hung heavy and cold. The only light came from faintly glowing runes etched along the rough stone walls. Their pale blue pulses cast jagged shadows that danced over cluttered stacks of yellowed documents and rows of glass tanks filled with things better left unnamed—twisted forms that stirred just enough to remind anyone watching that they were alive, though barely.

A figure in a dark, threadbare robe stepped cautiously inside, closing the heavy metal door behind him. He bowed quickly, his voice low but urgent. “Sir, I’ve come with a report. Project Crownless… has vanished.”

The Nebiros researcher looked up from his scattered notes, eyes narrowing. His brows knit together in mild confusion. “Project… Crownless? Which one was that again?”

Hesitating, the underling swallowed nervously before speaking. “The failed clone, sir. Created from those two unique but contradictory DNA samples in our collection. We had theorized they could synchronize because they came from the same original source. It was part of the Super Class Devil experimental series.”

Tilting his head slowly, the researcher still didn’t quite place it. The underling pressed on, “You declared it a failure and wrote it off, but somehow it survived. Its demonic power reserves were nearly nonexistent—far too weak to sustain a devil’s body by any of our known standards. By every logical measure, it should have collapsed and died years ago.”

Eyes lighting up, the researcher finally snapped his fingers. “Ah, that one. The reject who didn’t know when to die.”

“Yes, sir,” the underling confirmed, voice lowering as if speaking of a forbidden subject. “Four years ago, after the two servants you assigned to adopt him—so they could keep watch while living with him in the nearby Naberius Territory—were killed in that incident during another lab project, I took over direct observation. I’ve been monitoring him personally from a distance ever since.”

The researcher blinked slowly, the memory apparently vague and unimportant to him. “And now he’s gone?”

“Yes, sir. No trace left behind. According to the report, he was injured during a hunt but should have survived and recovered. Still, he never arrived at the shelter where he was supposed to be living.”

A short, dismissive snort escaped from the Nebiros researcher as he reached for a pen. “Then it’s finally happened. He’s reached his expiration date. Overdue, frankly.”

Straightening up, the underling asked, “What are your orders, sir?”

Without looking up, the researcher replied, “Keep watch, but don’t waste resources. If, by some impossible twist of fate, he’s still alive, it won’t last. Dead things only take time to realize they’re dead. Especially the ones who should have died ten years ago.”

Bowing again, the underling hesitated before turning to leave. A chill ran down his spine. Deep inside, an uneasy feeling told him that Project Crownless hadn’t died yet.

———

POV: Merlin

“Are you sure you want to try it?” Menchi asked, her tone uncertain as she stood with Merlin and Asuna at the entrance to her restaurant.

“You really don’t have to,” Asuna added, glancing at him with the same worried look. “Your support from the outside world is more important right now.”

“Don’t worry, it should be fine.” Merlin let out a quiet sigh as he slipped the Cor—the currency used in Aincrad—he had just exchanged from Menchi into a worn leather pouch. He had dipped into his own savings for this. The exchange rate had returned to roughly one-to-one again—nothing too unusual here—but he suspected it would have been very different if the currency were actual gold or silver or something from the European or American markets.

“This is my only body,” he said firmly, looking between the two women. “I’m not in danger of losing anything by stepping into your world. Besides…” Merlin gave a faint smirk, noticing the hesitation still in their eyes. “There’s nothing to fear. We don’t have much time before the first experienced players figure out they should leave the Town of Beginnings.”

Asuna finally gave a small nod, stepped forward, and pulled open the restaurant door. Beyond it lay the narrow, dim alleyway in Aincrad where she had first discovered Menchi’s hidden place.

With only a brief pause, Merlin followed her. His steps were steady as he crossed the threshold into the other world. The moment he did, a strange sensation swept over him. He froze, his eyes widening slightly.

“…That’s unusual.” His voice was low as he looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers. Something felt… wrong, or at least different.

Since waking up in this world, his demonic power had always been there—part of him, no matter how small or strange compared to other devils. But now, that connection was gone. Completely gone.

And yet… his body felt better? Not necessarily stronger, just more stable somehow. The stability was unsettling in its own way, since demonic power was supposed to enhance a devil’s body, not weaken it. If anything, he should feel weaker without it. But instead, there was a kind of balance in his form that he’d never had before.

“Is everything okay?” Menchi’s voice called from behind. She had stopped just inside the doorway, watching him.

“Oh, yeah.” Merlin turned his head toward her. “I just feel… different.” Then, looking at Asuna, he asked, “This game doesn’t have magic, right?”

“No,” she replied, tilting her head. “It’s all weapon-based combat. Why?”

“Well, it’s not like I could use magic anyway,” Merlin admitted. “But I do have some magical energy in me. In this world, it’s like my connection to it has been completely cut off. I can tell it’s still there, somewhere deep inside me, but I can’t reach it. Can’t feel it, can’t use it.”

His gaze drifted upward—and noticed something floating above his head.

< Merlin – Lv 22 >

“Weaker than I thought…” he muttered. The number made sense, though. This was just his raw physical strength, without the constant enhancement from his demonic power. Even with small reserves, that energy had always been boosting his body in the background.

“Weak…?” Asuna stared at him in disbelief. “You’re still way stronger than any player in the game right now. Your real strength is already several floors above ours.”

Ignoring her comment, Merlin asked, “How do I open the menu?”

“Like this.” Asuna raised her hand and swiped it down in a smooth motion, causing her system screen to appear in front of her.

Merlin copied the motion. Nothing happened. He tried again. Still nothing. After the fourth attempt, he let out a small sigh. “Figures. I’m not recognized as a player.”

“That’s too bad,” Asuna said.

“Too bad?” Menchi tilted her head, remembering her own restaurant system. “Why would you even want that? Does it give you anything?”

“Obviously because systems are always broken,” Merlin said without hesitation, as if explaining something incredibly obvious. “With access to your restaurant, resources from another world, and a bit of creativity, we could probably find some game-breaking exploits. Even without that, just the ability to level up, assign stat points, and learn skills is already overpowered in real life.”

He looked away toward the street outside. “I just hope I can still get stronger here and level up, even without a system.”

“Asuna,” he added, glancing back at her, “let’s head out. You take the fights. I’ll only step in if you get into trouble. The mobs around the Town of Beginnings probably won’t give me much EXP at my current level. You need it more than I do. See ya, Menchi!”

“Thank you, Menchi.” Asuna bowed politely before she followed after him.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Asuna froze as a notice box appeared in front of her face.

Merlin, who saw her stop, turned towards her. “What is it?”

“I just got an extra skill.” She mumbled in reply.

“Really? What does it do?”

“It’s called Wayfinder. Apparently there are multiple doors to the restaurant. According to the skill, it leads me to the closest one.” Asuna explained as her eyes flew over the description.

“That’s useful. At least we won’t lose the location of the restaurant.”

———

POV: ?

A small, nimble-looking girl crouched low in the bushes, her body hidden beneath a hooded cloak that blended perfectly into the darkness. Curly golden-brown hair framed her face, and her sharp brown eyes—now faintly glowing from the effects of an observation skill—watched the scene in front of her without blinking. Leather and cloth armor covered her from head to toe, the kind of gear meant for speed and stealth over raw defense.

Out in the open field, a pair was locked in combat with one of the field bosses that roamed a good distance away from the Town of Beginnings—a massive, tusked boar with thick bristled fur. The creature charged wildly, kicking up chunks of dirt with every step.

But the girl’s focus wasn’t on the monster itself. Her gaze followed the brown-orange-haired girl who darted in and out of its range, her sword cutting at every opening. Beside her stood a white-haired boy, who didn’t seem to attack much. Instead, he stepped in only to block the boar’s charges and deflect its blows, almost as if he was buying time for his partner to land clean hits.

Her brow furrowed slightly. Is that… an NPC?

It had to be. There was no way a player could reach Level 22 on the very first day of launch. That kind of level was normal for someone grinding around Floor 9 or 10, maybe Floor 7 if they were a very good player, not here on Floor 1. They were weeks to months away from such levels.

So is that a quest NPC? she wondered. If it was, then what kind of quest would have an NPC help you fight mobs several levels above your own? That wasn’t just a little helpful—it was basically NPC-assisted power leveling. She never had encountered such a quest during the beta or heard of it.

Her lips curved into a grin under the shadow of her hood. I need to find out more about that quest.

Her eyes stayed locked on the strange pair as they finally brought down the massive boar field boss. The final blow came from the girl, her sword slicing cleanly through the monster’s hide before it collapsed with a heavy thud.

The boy, standing just a few steps behind, watched her finish the fight with clear approval. But before either of them could relax, a smaller boar charged toward them from the side. Without hesitation, the boy stepped forward, a sword in his hand, swung once, and dropped it instantly.

What made her freeze wasn’t the quick kill—it was what happened next.

Wait… did that NPC just loot the corpse?

Her eyes widened slightly as she watched him crouch down and collect something from the fallen monster. What the hell? NPCs don’t do that… right?

The thought made her unconsciously let out a small gasp. Her fingers tightened around the bush she was hiding in as the boy casually slipped the corn he’d picked up into a worn leather pouch hanging from his belt.

And then he stopped.

His head turned sharply in her direction, icy blue eyes scanning the shadows. He didn’t look uncertain—more like he already knew exactly where to look. Within seconds, his gaze locked directly on the bush that hid her.

For a heartbeat, neither of them moved. They simply stared at each other, and she could feel her pulse quicken. She wasn’t sure if she should run or stay put.

Logically, she had no chance against him. Even with the decent progress she’d made today—managing to gain a level—he still outclassed her by twenty whole levels. A gap like that wasn’t something you could make up for with skill alone.

But instead of coming toward her, the boy just kept watching. The corners of his mouth curled upward into a grin.

… Was he waving at her?

No, wait—he was definitely gesturing for her to come over.

Her mind raced. Did I just trigger an event? Is this how you join that quest?

Well, whatever it was, she wasn’t about to complain. If this was her chance to figure out what was going on with those two, she’d take it.