"That concludes this crusade's guidance of fundamental knowledge." Guide said calmly as they bowed politely.

"So, you're basically saying that all our efforts will have been for nothing if we bite off more than we can chew, right?" Colorful Nimbus chimed in.

"Precisely so," Guide responded as they stood up straight.

Everyone understood Guide's explanation without issue, but there were some concerning points they brought up.

For one, the way enemies were ranked in the crusade was troublesome. Those types of rankings were something no one had ever seen nor heard of before now in RML; therefore, the group had no idea what to expect. It was like walking into a forest full of swords blindfolded. One wrong misstep, and they were as good as done.

That's why—they needed to extract as much information as possible from Guide before they entered the crusade. That way, they could reduce the number of unknown variables they would inevitably face.

"I'm curious. Are there any restrictions we should know about?" Niflheim asked.

"Why, but of course. There are three major restrictions that will be in place when attempting the crusade. One, you may only access certain equipment and weapons from your inventory. Put simply, objects such as potions, magic items, and talismans cannot be used inside the crusade." Guide answered.

He then continued, "Two, once the stage of a crusade starts, there are only two ways for it to end. You conquer your enemies, or... you become the conquered."

"And, the third?" Niflheim queried.

"Third... Well, it is not necessarily a restriction. But, you can think of it as a personal suggestion from your friendly neighborhood guide. Whatever you choose to do once you enter the crusade, it is important that you never forget. Everything that appears before you is an enemy in one way or another without exception." Guide stated in an ominous tone.

Niflheim inwardly furrowed his brows after listening to Guide. Everything is an enemy without exception... Niflheim felt that while Guide was not lying, there was definitely more to the crusade than they were letting on. At least, this was Niflheim's gut feeling on the matter.

However, when Niflheim brought up the topic of enemies, Guide responded that even they did not know what would appear on each stage. And, since there was no way of confirming whether or not Guide was telling the truth, they had no choice but to take his words at face value.

"I hate to be the one to say it, but what happens if one of us dies in the middle of the stage? Will we revive after the stage is cleared? Or, do we just walk away empty-handed as you put it?" Colorful Nimbus inquired.

Colorful Nimbus asked the question that was on everyone's mind. If it were like a normal dungeon or raid, then the player would be sent back to the beginning point upon death after a set period of time.

But, the crusade seemed to function on a different set of rules as compared to normal dungeons and raids; for all they knew, once they died, they could be automatically ejected from the crusade altogether! If so, the risks that they were usually willing to take would have to be toned down.

"Rest assured, even if you perish while completing a stage, as long as one of you survives after your enemies have been defeated, then it will be considered your victory. Once the conclusion of the stage has been reached, all participants will then be revived and given the opportunity to proceed to the next stage." Guide explained calmly.

Everyone released an inward sigh of relief, especially Niflheim.

"That's good news. If the possibility of respawning did not exist, whether done intentionally or on a subconscious level, everyone would prioritize their own safety above that of the party's. That would make things difficult in the long run. After all, no one would be willing to lose out on this opportunity for the sake of others." Niflheim internalized.

The party spent the next several minutes asking Guide questions about the crusade.

Guide answered the majority of their questions without trouble; however, there were some off-limit topics that they did not, or rather could not, provide answers to.

Then, after no one had any further questions for Guide, they bowed graciously.

"It is my honor to serve as your guide for this crusade. Farewell, and... May fortune smile upon you on this day."

The next moment, Guide snapped their fingers as a strong vortex of wind formed around them before rapidly dispersing.

In the blink of an eye, Guide vanished without a trace.

"Alright, everyone, listen up. I know our teamwork is unproven, but I believe that there is no question to our strength as individuals. Everyone here is within the top 50 on the event leaderboards, which requires a certain level of skill. However, even the strongest brick can be stepped over if it's not a part of a wall. For that reason, I want Niflheim to act as the glue that binds us together." Sacred Blade stated.

He then continued, "I know and trust in Niflheim's abilities to lead us through this crusade. However, since we are a party, I would like to know everyone else's opinions on this."

As Sacred Blade spoke, Niflheim glanced over at Izroth, who had a carefree smile on his face and a look in his eyes that said "I don't want it." as if he immediately read Niflheim's thoughts.

Since Niflheim decided to join Izroth's guild, he felt that it was only right to take his guild leader's opinion into account. But, it seemed that there was no use asking, given the look in Izroth's eyes that provided a clear answer.

"I have heard great things about Niflheim in regards to his strategic talents. Forgive me for being blunt, but among those present, no one else has a reputation close to Niflheim when it comes to this specific area of expertise. I believe he is best suited for this task. That is my unbiased analysis." Morrighan said as she was the first to speak up.

"Whatever... Is fine." An astonishingly deep voice uttered.

From how deep this voice was, one would think that someone was playing a prank by using a voice changer. However, that was impossible, seeing as how RML did not allow third-party applications.

This almost unnaturally deep voice belonged to Gram, who was well known as a man of few words.

"No issue here. I'm willing to do whatever gives us the best chances of clearing this place. Like the Phantom Queen put so bluntly, he fits that position better than the rest of us." Colorful Nimbus commented as he shrugged.

"I, too, have no complaints," Izroth stated.

Sacred Blade nodded, "Good. We're all in agreement. Niflheim, we'll be counting on you."

"Since everyone has already agreed, how can I turn it down? I may not be perfect, but I promise you this—I will do my utmost not to betray the trust you've all put in me." Niflheim declared.

Without wasting time, Niflheim checked if everyone was ready to proceed.

After confirming that everyone completed their preparations, Niflheim said, "Ready up."

〈System Alert: Player Niflheim is ready! [1/6]〉

〈System Alert: Player Sacred Blade is ready! [2/6]〉

〈System Alert: Player Gram is ready! [3/6]〉

〈System Alert: Player Colorful Nimbus is ready! [4/6]〉

〈System Alert: Player Morrighan is ready! [5/6]〉

'Shall we see what secrets you're hiding?'

〈System Alert: Player Izroth is ready! [6/6]〉

〈System Alert: All players are ready! Automatic transport to the first stage of the «Crusade» has commenced! 10 seconds remaining.〉 

The instant the countdown started, a complex magic circle appeared beneath Izroth and his party that locked their movements in place.

"Heh, I'm looking forward to seeing the prizes we get from clearing the third stage." Colorful Nimbus grinned.

9...

8...

7...

"Let's just take it one step at a time. It'd be bad if we pushed our luck too far. I'd hate for overconfidence to be our downfall." Sacred Blade commented.

6...

5...

4...

"Keep your guard up, everyone. Be prepared for a potential battle as soon as we arrive." Niflheim warned.

3...

2...

1...

"See ya on the other side." Those were the last words to leave Colorful Nimbus' mouth before he disappeared with the magic circle along with everyone else present.

Upon their departure, all that remained in the empty waiting room was a lingering silence.

...

〈System Alert: You have arrived at the first stage of the «Crusade»!〉

After being transported by the magic circle, Izroth and his party emerged in a gloomy land on their guard.

There was an indescribable chill in the air as they took in their new surroundings.

In the sky was a full moon dyed in a blood-red color. Around them was a boundless wasteland filled with withered trees and a dark atmosphere.

〈Battle Alert: You have been affected by the skill «Lesser Protection». Your physical resistance and magical resistance has been increased by 10%  for 1 hour.〉

〈Battle Alert: You have been affected by the skill «Greater Protection». Your physical resistance and magical resistance has been increased by 25% for 1 hour.〉

〈Battle Alert: You have been affected by the skill «Fierce Touch». Your attack and magic has been increased by 15% for 1 hour.〉