"Marcus, you’re amazing!"

Jade couldn’t help blurting it out as she watched him fight. Between his overwhelming strength and the ridiculous lineup of powerful pets at his command, every battle looked effortless. She moved a little closer to him, tilting her head up with open admiration in her eyes.

Even Willow Moran, who was seeing Marcus fight seriously for the first time, couldn’t hide her surprise. At the same time, she felt a quiet sense of pride. As for Crystal, she remained as reserved as ever, but every now and then her gaze drifted back toward him before quickly moving away again.

Strength made everything easier.

For Lily and the others, who were only around level 30, the level 50 Two-Headed Black Panthers provided excellent experience. Combined with Marcus’s absurd clearing speed, experience notifications filled their screens almost nonstop.

In less than an hour, most of them had gained nearly eighty percent of a level. Willow, who had started at the lowest level, had climbed almost two full levels by herself.

Marcus was having a great time.

Power-leveling a group of women while barely breaking a sweat was hard to complain about.

"Oh, right."

A thought suddenly occurred to him. He still hadn’t properly tested his secondary class.

The Mountain Roarer.

Compared to Knights, Archers specialized in raw offensive power. Ever since obtaining the class, he had been busy with one thing after another and hadn’t had a chance to experiment with it.

He was just about to switch weapons using Amber’s mythic artifact, Maple Leaf Dance, and try out some of the techniques Liam Windrunner had taught him when a private message suddenly arrived.

"Marcus, my aunt and I just logged in. Did you finish the Mystic Turtle’s Tomb?"

The message came from Talia. Professor Tina was with her.

Marcus immediately smiled. He had left them several messages earlier.

"Yeah, I finished it last night. Where are you two? Still in the Beginner Village?"

"Nope. We left yesterday and just finished our class advancements in Dragon’s Peak Citadel."

The excitement in Talia’s voice was impossible to miss after hearing that Marcus had completed the quest.

"Marcus, where are you right now?"

Before he could answer, she added in a slightly complaining tone,

"If we’d known you were already done, my aunt and I would’ve logged in much earlier."

Marcus chuckled.

"Talia, you and Miss Tina head to my mansion first. Amber, the others, and I will return right away. We’ll meet there."

After sending her the address, he turned toward the women around him.

"Ladies, a couple of friends just logged in. They’re waiting for us back in Dragon’s Peak Citadel."

Amber’s eyes immediately lit up.

"Brother, who is it?"

Lily and Willow exchanged curious looks as well.

Marcus grinned.

"Just wait until you see them."

The mysterious answer only made everyone more curious.

A few moments later, Marcus activated a Town Portal Scroll. A flash of light surrounded the group, and they reappeared inside the courtyard of his mansion in Dragon’s Peak Citadel.

Before they could even settle in, a system notification rang out.

Ding!

[Player PhoenixDance is knocking at your door. Open the door?]

Marcus smiled.

"They’re here already. Open."

The mansion’s entrance unlocked. As Marcus headed toward the front hall, Amber hurried after him.

"Brother, who is it? Do we know them?"

"Maybe."

Marcus deliberately kept her guessing. The group soon reached the entrance hall, and at almost the same moment, two women stepped inside.

Both had recently changed classes and were dressed in the standard level 10 archer equipment sold by NPC shops. The equipment itself was ordinary, but it couldn’t hide their presence.

The woman on the left was Talia Quinn.

Her confident posture and natural charm made her stand out immediately. Every step seemed relaxed and effortless, yet she drew attention without even trying. She had always been known as one of Crestwood University’s Campus Queens, and even in basic equipment, that reputation felt well deserved.

Beside her was Professor Tina.

Unlike Talia’s more striking and lively presence, Tina carried herself with calm elegance. Her movements were graceful, her bearing refined, and there was a natural confidence about her that drew people’s attention the moment she entered a room.

Even standing beside Talia, she wasn’t overshadowed in the slightest.

After all, she was Professor Tina, widely recognized as Crestwood University’s most admired beauty and one half of the legendary Campus Queens.

"More women?"

Chloe’s first reaction was mild irritation. The "friends" Marcus had mentioned turned out to be two women.

Very beautiful women.

Although both wore shop-bought masks that concealed their faces, their figures and bearing alone made it obvious they were exceptionally attractive.

For some reason, though, they also seemed familiar.

Just as Chloe was trying to place them, the two newcomers noticed the group and immediately quickened their pace.

Then they removed their masks. The moment Chloe saw their faces, realization hit her.

So it was them.

Before she could speak, Amber let out a delighted cry.

"Sister Tina! Sister Talia!"

She rushed forward and practically threw herself into Professor Tina’s arms.

"I knew it had to be you!"

Amber beamed as she grabbed both women by the arms.

"Otherwise, why would my brother act so mysterious?"

Talia laughed. Professor Tina gently patted Amber’s head.

Nearby, Chloe finally understood why the two women had seemed familiar.

Of course.

Only Professor Tina could make even someone as confident as Chloe feel a little envious.

Crestwood University’s most famous beauty. Practically everyone knew her. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Still, Chloe couldn’t help feeling surprised. She and Anya had visited Professor Tina not long ago, yet Tina had never mentioned playing Dominion.

Her eyes drifted toward Marcus. The man was standing off to the side, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

Chloe could only shake her head. Somehow, Marcus always managed to surprise people.

"Sister Tina, my brother is terrible."

Amber hugged Professor Tina’s arm and pouted.

"You’ve both been playing Dominion this whole time, and nobody told me. Even today, he kept it secret until the very last second."

The complaint lacked any real anger. She was simply too happy to see them.

Lily and Willow Moran stepped forward as well, greeting Talia and Professor Tina with warm smiles.

The atmosphere in the hall quickly became lively as everyone gathered together. A moment earlier, they had only been curious about Marcus’s mysterious guests.

Now they understood exactly why he had been so confident that they would be surprised.