"Damn, that’s a lot of people, even though there are only around a hundred of us," Martin said as he looked over the crowd gathered at the foot of the academy’s headquarters.

The closer his party came, the less it felt like a simple meeting point and the more it looked like a war camp before the first horn.

Players stood in organized clusters beneath floating party markers. Tanks checked their shields and armor straps. Healers sorted support items.

Scouts compared route maps while damage dealers bragged too loudly near the edges of their groups. Pets, spirits, summons, and familiars crowded every open space, making the wide headquarters plaza feel even smaller than it should have.

Just from those numbers alone, Martin could imagine the elders’ twisted grimaces. The headquarters belonged to them, yet not a single elder stood in the plaza. Their absence said enough. Tonight, the players had been allowed to turn the academy grounds into their own war camp, and even the NPCs seemed to understand that this expansion would decide more than a few hunting routes.

It didn’t take long for the other members of Night Espresso’s guild to notice Martin and his friends.

"All of them are hiding their identities, huh?"

"I could see Emperoar looking this casual in real life."

"Well, all they can do is hide their faces, right?"

"Yeah."

The men whispered among themselves, their eyes mostly lingering on NukEncore’s ample breasts, Chaosgraphy’s thick thighs, Kill Clause’s round ass, and Crimson Halo’s wide hips. Just like they said, none of the game’s "makeup" could hide their bountiful womanly features.

While the male players reacted in such an obvious, eye-rolling way, the women in Night Espresso’s guild looked at Martin with open interest. A few of them whispered Thorn’Shield’s name before glancing at Martin’s shield. Others looked from him to the women around him, then back again, as if trying to decide whether the rumors had understated things.

Since he was the only man in the party, no one had to guess which player was Emperoar. He stood at the front with his shield near his side, looking attentive enough that approaching him felt natural instead of awkward.

"Hey, Emperoar. I’ve wanted to meet you in person ever since you showed Thorn’Shield what it means to be a tank. I’m Rose," a short-haired blonde with a bright, dazzling expression said as she walked over to Martin and looked straight into his eyes.

Her healer outfit hugged her curvy figure closely, but her easy smile and confident posture made her feel more approachable than showy.

"If our parties end up working together during this expansion mission, you can count on me to heal you. I’ll watch out for you."

Martin smiled. "Nice to meet you, Rose. Then call me Martin, since you gave me your real name. Feel free to hide behind me whenever you’re in danger. I can’t be the only one getting support here."

Rose beamed. "It’s not a big deal. I can keep a whole crowd alive now. I leveled my class, picked up a few new skills, and officially graduated from ambulance duty. Next stop, healing goddess."

"Wow, that’s awesome," Martin said, genuinely reacting to her words. "And ambulance. Haven’t heard that slang in a damn long while."

"Oh, you must have played other MMOs, then!" Rose chuckled. "It’s my first MMO, to be honest."

Several nearby parties were listening to the exchange.

NukEncore stared at Martin and Rose in silence. Her lips pressed into a thin line while her fingers slowly tightened around her staff, as if she were one compliment away from declaring war on a healer.

Chaosgraphy noticed immediately. The elegant duelist tilted her head, her long hair sliding over one shoulder as a wicked little smile curved her lips. Her eyes narrowed with the pleasure of someone watching a trap close around its prey.

"You look like a cat deciding whether to play with a mouse or leave the body as a warning. Not very diva-like."

"Get her, Alexandra. Slice her throat," NukEncore said, her expression unchanged and frighteningly serious.

Chaos whistled. "Frightening."

Crimson Halo covered a soft laugh with the back of her hand. Her warm gaze moved from Rose to Martin, then to NukEncore, and the gentle curve of her smile made the teasing feel even worse.

"My, you’re dangerous when you’re the one worried that Martin might be stolen from you, not the other way around. Is this the first time someone unfamiliar has trespassed into your safe zone?" Crimson Halo asked.

"Not in this way," NukEncore replied. "Apparently, we also have to fight off women who try to steal Martin. That’s why I chose Alexandra."

"Don’t treat me like a Pokémon," Chaos rebuked. "And stop saying my real name. Yours is weird to begin with. Why is it Elisebeth, not Elisabeth?"

"Ask my mom." NukEncore crossed her arms.

Stupid Martin. You have top-of-the-world women in your party. Don’t go around smiling like that at some random chick! Gosh, why is it so infuriating?

As Martin talked with the other girls, Thorn’Shield’s name naturally came up. He was part of the expansion as well, ready to prove himself and perhaps more. Each time someone mentioned his name, a few looks were sent his way. He put on a stone face and ignored them all.

Thorn’Shield kept his jaw tight and his eyes forward. The old hunger for attention did not show on his face tonight. Only his grip on his weapon tightened whenever someone said Martin’s name.

Only one person could cut through all the noise and capture everyone’s attention.

A male player stepped onto the raised stone platform beneath the headquarters stairs. His avatar had the kind of nerdy look that would have blended into a library better than a battlefield, with messy black hair, round glasses, and a robe that seemed one size too large for his thin frame.

He pushed his glasses up with one finger, missed the bridge of his nose once, then corrected the motion as if nothing had happened.

Yet the moment his name appeared above him, the surrounding officers straightened.

[Kuro A: Thank you for arriving on time. Miss Cassandra assigned me as the shotcaller for this expansion operation, so I’ll keep the briefing efficient.

Our objective is Cascade Valley.]

The plaza changed at once.

A projected map unfolded above the gathering point, scattering blue-white light across the players’ faces. The clean lines of the academy vanished and were replaced by a wide valley carved between towering cliffs. Waterfalls poured from every side, some thin as silver threads and others wide enough to swallow entire roads beneath white spray.

Mist drifted through the projection. Broken bridges crossed between moss-covered terraces, while darker routes disappeared behind curtains of falling water.

[Expansion Area: Cascade Valley]

Markers bloomed across the lower terraces, each one labeling a confirmed nest of Dark Aquatic Ants. The icons clustered near waterfall mouths and damp stone tunnels, turning the beautiful valley into something far less welcoming.

The name sent a ripple through the plaza. Players leaned closer to the projection, voices rising as party leaders began pointing at bridges, terraces, and marked nest zones. Only the women from Martin’s party stayed still.

NukEncore, Chaosgraphy, and Crimson Halo deadpanned, then turned their heads toward Kill Clause.

Cascade Valley? Couldn’t you make it more obvious, Sugar Mommy?

Feeling their eyes on her, Kill Clause only smiled faintly and looked back at them before craning her neck toward the shotcaller again.

Beside her, Martin clenched his fists. "I won’t waste this chance. Cassandra knows I have Angel and Water-aspected equipment, so she’s putting trust in me for a reason."

Kill Clause whispered, "Looks like you’ve been given another chance to prove yourself, Martin."

Her eyes stayed on the map, calm and sharp.

"Water routes favor you, but don’t mistake that for safety," she added. "Cassandra does not place people randomly. If she gave us this route, she expects results."

"Yeah. You all can count on me. I’ll make sure all of us stand out and prove she was right to trust us," Martin said.

NukEncore couldn’t handle it anymore.

"This damn bitch! She knows I am a fire mage!"

All eyes turned toward her.

Even Kuro A stopped mid-briefing.

For one terrible second, the entire expansion operation stared at NukEncore.

Even the projected waterfalls seemed quieter for a second.