Lumi’s airship hovered above the assembled crowd at the Shining Forest Path. Though they had quieted down some, it was only some. With thousands of players gathered below, their chatter created a constant hum of noise.

It was time to establish the chain of command. Though he had already established this on the forum post, the players still needed to be reminded, and have a face to link to the name.

"EVERYONE!" Lumi’s amplified voice cut through the noise. "Before we begin, I need to introduce your leadership for this raid!"

The crowd quieted down further as their attention focused upward.

"First, my co-captain!" Lumi gestured to Lena, who waved enthusiastically from the airship’s wing. "Lena! If you’ve ever spent time on the forums, you almost certainly know her already!"

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Several players called out.

"That’s the crazy girl!"

"I saw her threaten some people earlier!"

"Did you see her posts about radiation?"

"She’s the one who got first class advancement too, right?"

Lena grinned at the recognition, doing a little spin on the airship wing. Sol chirped from Eden’s shoulder, confused by all the noise.

Lumi continued. "And now, your raid lieutenants! These four will be leading squads during the raid!"

Four figures pushed through the crowd to stand at the front. The players around them stepped back instinctively, creating space. There was something about their presence that commanded respect. Perhaps part of it was the way they moved or their posture, but more importantly, it was their equipment. They held complete sets of equipment. A headpiece, a top, a bottom piece, shoes, accessories, and more. Many players still merely had regular clothes on save for a few pieces of real equipment.

And even if they had equipment, it wasn’t high quality. Many warriors still merely had leather pieces rather than metal armor.

"Ryan!" Lumi called out.

A tall man with dark hair and a greatsword strapped to his back raised his fist into the air. He had a full set of metal armor on, making him imposing. Several players in the crowd immediately recognized him.

"Holy crap, that’s Ryan!"

"I saw him take on three players at once in that territory dispute near the Cerleon eastern hunting grounds!"

"He didn’t even use a health potion! Just kept swinging!"

"My party tried to recruit him. He said he was already working with someone. Must have been Lumi!"

Ryan’s reputation spoke for itself. He’d been active in the community since the game launched, participating in various player conflicts and always coming out on top. His pure combat skill was undeniable. He didn’t rely on tricks or gimmicks. Just raw technique and overwhelming offense.

One player in the crowd turned to his friend. "I watched him fight a mini-boss once. The thing had this charge attack that one-shot most people. Ryan just timed his parry perfectly every single time."

"Is that a skill...?"

"No. It’s his mechanical skill."

"Tora!" Lumi announced next.

A broad-shouldered man in heavy plate armor stepped forward. This time, he held a great shield. His shield was nearly as tall as he was, the metal surface covered in dents and scorch marks. He grinned widely at the crowd, then beat his fist against his chest plate with a resounding CLANG.

"YEAH! LET’S DO THIS!" Tora’s enthusiasm was infectious.

The crowd reacted immediately.

"That’s the guy who held the bridge!"

"Oh damn, I heard about that! Fifteen players tried to push through and he didn’t budge!"

"I heard he tanked a boss for twenty minutes straight while his party figured out the mechanics!"

"My friend said Tora literally cannot die. Just refuses to."

Tora’s defensive prowess was legendary among the players who’d witnessed it. There were stories of him standing in front of bosses, taking hit after hit, his health dropping low but never quite reaching zero. Players who’d fought alongside him spoke of his ability to simply refuse to die, no matter what was thrown at him.

A mage in the crowd whispered to her friend. "We were investigating a crypt once. He pulled aggro from three different enemy groups at once. I thought we were dead. He just laughed and held them all until we could burn them down one by one."

"Vice!" Lumi called.

A lean man with a longbow stepped forward. His movements were precise and controlled. He scanned the crowd with sharp eyes, and gave them a sharp smile.

Several players recognized him instantly.

"Vice! He’s the one from the Macres archery tournament!"

"I saw him hit a target from over two hundred meters away!"

"He killed three thieves before they even knew he was there!"

"Wasn’t hhe the one who won that sniping competition? Hit every target perfectly?"

Vice’s accuracy was unmatched. Stories of his impossible shots had spread through the community. Players who’d fought alongside him knew that if Vice aimed at something, it was already as good as dead.

One player shuddered. "I made the mistake of trying to ambush his party once. He shot the arrow out of my bow before I could even release it. Then made me beg for mercy."

"Buddy," A different player put a hand on his shoulder. "At least you got mercy presented as an option."

"And finally, Hazy!" Lumi announced.

For a moment, nothing happened.

The crowd looked around, confused.

Then a figure materialized from the shadows at the front of the crowd. Players nearby jumped in surprise.

"What the hell!?"

"Where did he come from!?"

"Was he there the whole time!?"

Hazy was dressed in dark leather armor. His face was partially obscured by a hood. He lightly tilted his head up, giving them a smirk. Then, he immediately turned away from the crowd, hiding his face.

Any longer and he’d get nervous...

The crowd’s reaction was different this time.

"Hazy... even the NPCs are scared of him."

"I heard he completed an assassination contract on a mini-boss without anyone seeing him."

"My friend swears Hazy killed him in a duel and he never even saw the attack coming. Just... dead."

Hazy’s reputation was built on fear and respect in equal measure. He didn’t participate in public events often, preferring to work alone. But when he did appear, the results were always devastating. Players who’d fought against him told stories of dying without ever seeing their killer. Players who’d fought alongside him told stories of enemies dropping dead with no explanation.

A warrior in the crowd leaned toward his friend. "I was in a party that hired him to help with a difficult quest. We never even saw him fight. Enemies just... stopped showing up. We’d enter a room and all the monsters would already be dead. It was terrifying."

Lumi looked down at his assembled lieutenants with satisfaction. "These four will be leading squads during the raid! You shall listen to me first, then Lena, then them!"

The crowd erupted in cheers and excited chatter. Now the structure was building up! Players who’d been uncertain about the raid suddenly felt confident. With commanders like these, how could they fail?

"We’re actually going to do this!"

"With those four leading? We’ve got this!"

"This is going to be legendary!"

Eden watched from his position on the airship wing, completely overwhelmed. His arms hugged Sol tighter, feeling his reassuring warmth against his chest. "Master, are all these people really going to follow us into battle?"

"They are." Lumi confirmed.

"But... but..." Eden gulped. He kept his voice a whisper, making sure that no one heard. "I’m so confused..." He looked at Lumi, nervously. "You really are famous, huh?"

Lumi turned to his disciple and lightly nodded. "You can say that. I know this is overwhelming, but you might find comfort in the face you don’t need to do much."

Eden’s face went complicated. "Right. I’m here for Sol.

Lena leaned over from her wing, grinning. "Don’t worry, Eden! With all of us together, this’ll be eas-"

SHINK!

A blade flew through the air, spinning end over end, aimed directly at Lumi’s throat.

Lumi saw it coming. Though he registered the threat, casting teleport would take too long. He immediately turned to dodge.

Lena’s hand shot toward her wand, seeking to throw it in the way of the dagger.

But Tora was faster.

"BOSS!"

CLANG!

The massive shield-bearer had crossed the distance in an instant with his shield raised. The blade deflected off the metal surface, spinning away onto the floor.

Though Tora remembered exactly what they had talked about before. Now that he was up at the front next to Lumi, he moved over to the left, next to the landed airship, and held his position next to Eden. "I’ve got you!"

Eden: ???

The crowd exploded into chaos.

"ATTACK!"

"Someone just attacked Lumi!"

Players drew weapons instinctively. Some scattered, not wanting to be caught in whatever was about to happen. Others pressed forward, trying to see. With just a single attack, the organized formation dissolved into confused panic.

Lumi’s eyes tracked the blade’s trajectory backward to its source.

A figure stood at the edge of the crowd. It was a slim, feminine figure with dark leather armor. More blades visible on her belt and strapped to her thighs. A smirk was barely visible through her shroud.

"THERE!" Ryan shouted, already moving. His greatsword came off his back in one smooth motion.

Vice had an arrow nocked and drawn in an instant, the string pulled back to her cheek. The arrowhead tracked the attacker’s center mass and shot. It instantly multiplied into several arrows, seeking her position.

As for Hazy, he moved to flank as he vanished completely, his form dissolving into shadow.

The attacker suddenly found herself surrounded on the spot, several lethal attacks coming close. The crowd around her cleared instantly, players scrambling to get out of the way. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Yet, she didn’t run. She didn’t even flinch at being surrounded by four elite fighters.

Instead, she raised her hands in a request for attention.

"Wait!" Her voice cut through the chaos. "I challenge Lumi to a 1v1!"