NukEncore stopped outside the workshop long enough to bid the old master farewell.

"I’ll be back with new items for more lessons, old man!" she called, waving at him.

The old man’s face twisted. "It is Master Raven. And girl, there is more to imprinting than meets the eye. You can practice on your own, but without a Skill Anchor Device, it will be far more dangerous."

Whether she understood the nuance behind his warning or not, Master Raven did not seem to care. He shut the door without waiting for NukEncore’s reaction and did not even bother saying farewell.

Martin chuckled. "You must have pissed him off pretty badly by calling him old man."

"One day, he’ll understand the honor," NukEncore replied, chuckling back at him.

Chaosgraphy looked up at the glowing orange sky. "We spent a lot of time inside. It should be time for the weekly ranking rewards, shouldn’t it? Is she online?"

She opened the system window, and sure enough, Crimson Halo was online. Cassandra was online as well, using her Kill Clause character.

"Let’s head over to Samu’s Restaurant. This time, though, let’s reserve the private room on the second floor," Martin said.

"Haha. Sure. Samu probably can’t survive this glutton twice in one week," Chaosgraphy said with a grin.

NukEncore pretended she had heard nothing.

The three of them headed back toward Samu’s Restaurant, letting the evening bustle of the academy flow around them. The warm orange glow from the sky softened the stone paths, while the restaurant’s lights spilled through the windows ahead like a familiar landmark.

After the pressure of Master Raven’s workshop, the bustle around Samu’s Restaurant felt almost too normal.

Broodtide Bulwark rested against Martin’s arm, and his fingers occasionally shifted over the grip as if he were still testing the shield’s new presence. The motion was small and quiet, but he kept returning to it.

At a glance, the shield did not look dramatically different. Even so, the dark-blue seal within it seemed deeper now, pulsing with the steady rhythm of something alive beneath cold water.

NukEncore noticed every time he adjusted his hold. Her chin lifted a little, and the corner of her mouth curled with satisfaction. She did not interrupt him or demand praise, but her posture made it clear she had already accepted the result as proof of her talent.

"I’m really happy with the shield," Martin said with a small chuckle. "I never expected to wield The Kraken’s Tentacle itself. That thing was my first real wall, you know?"

NukEncore closed her eyes, lifted her chin, and hummed as if she had just received the only answer she deserved. "Mhm."

Still, her attention kept slipping toward the Cindervein Staff in her grasp. The fire crystal remained bright, but the faint gravity ring around the shaft flickered whenever she moved it, as if the staff remembered how to rise yet forgot how to stay there.

Her fingers traced the unstable shimmer once, and her pleased expression sharpened into something more focused.

"The staff needs a proper gravitational ring. Perhaps the rankings will have the decency to reward me with one," NukEncore said.

"Hope so," Martin replied.

Beside them, Chaosgraphy walked with San Kumoe nestled comfortably against her. Her gaze moved from Martin’s shield to NukEncore’s proud face, then to the restless staff in her hand. A teasing smile kept threatening to form, but she seemed content to let the moment breathe for now.

Chaosgraphy smirked. "Even for you, too many miracles in one day might be greedy."

By the time they reached Samu’s Restaurant, the familiar smell of cooked meat, warm bread, and sweet sauce drifted through the entrance.

Players filled the tables in loose groups, checking messages, comparing rewards, and leaning over glowing system windows. The noise inside was lively but comfortable, the kind of background chatter that made the restaurant feel lived in.

At one of the side tables, Crimson Halo was already waiting with her hands folded neatly in front of her. She looked calm and composed despite the busy room around her. The moment she noticed them enter, her eyes lifted, and a gentle smile softened her face.

"My, it feels like I skipped weeks of gameplay. What happened to NukEncore... and to your shield, Martin?" she asked.

Martin filled her in with a bright smile, keeping the explanation short enough to spare everyone another lecture on imprinting.

Cassandra arrived shortly after on Kill Clause’s character. She moved through the restaurant with sharper, more direct steps, her attention flicking over the room before landing on the group.

Unlike Crimson Halo’s quiet warmth, Kill Clause carried herself with restrained impatience, as if she had come prepared to confirm the results and move on to the next target.

Kill Clause swept her gaze over everyone. "Well done, everyone. I can’t wait to see our rewards."

Once everyone gathered around the table, their system windows opened one after another. The glow from the screens washed over their faces and reflected in their eyes.

They had been aiming for three categories: Damage Dealt, Accumulated Critical Damage, and Accumulated Weak Point Hits.

Because most of their recent runs had been selfish farming sessions for the incoming expansion battle, either in duos or alone, none of them expected to place very high in any category. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Kill Clause said, "I checked around. Night Espresso seems to be the only guild in the academy that could farm the Hidden Level One Dungeon like us. We should at least place well."

Then the rankings loaded.

For a moment, nobody moved. Martin’s brows rose slightly, and his attention fixed on the ranking window.

NukEncore’s proud smile froze before widening with a sharper, brighter edge. Crimson Halo blinked once, her composed expression cracking just enough to show genuine surprise.

Kill Clause leaned closer to her window, as if the numbers might change if she stared at them more carefully.

Even Chaosgraphy looked stunned for a moment. Her lashes lowered, her lips parted slightly, and the teasing confidence in her expression faltered. Then she recovered faster than anyone else, smoothing her face into her usual amused smile and reclining as if she had expected exactly this outcome from the beginning.

[Damage Dealt: 976,120]

[Accumulated Critical Damage: 451,689]

[Accumulated Weak Point Hits: 651,776]

[Your party has ranked first in three weekly categories.]

[You have received the corresponding rewards.]

[Emperoar: The Tide Shepherd Blessing]

[Chaosgraphy: The Huntress of the Moon Blessing]

[NukEncore: The Flame Star Blessing]

[Kill Clause: The Arrow Bender Blessing]

[Crimson Halo: The Blessing of the Wolf Spirit]

NukEncore laughed aloud. "This game knows me so well!"

Everyone chuckled along with her.