Having every eye on her had never been a problem for NukEncore.

Once attention fell in her direction, she could seize it, claim it, and keep it for as long as she wanted. Even now, she did not waste a second worrying about her voice or how mellifluous she had sounded. She simply lifted her chin and stared back at everyone.

Martin, however, felt the weight of the stares immediately.

He remembered how conscious she had been of that same voice and how she had lowered her head because of it. That memory stirred something protective and intimate in him. He stepped closer to NukEncore and placed his hand on her head, like a teacher scolding a loud student in a museum.

"She meant to say that in our party voice chat. Sorry, please don’t mind us. We’re listening," Martin said with a business smile, as if he were facing clients at work.

There was no reason to explain why she had reacted that way. He did not owe anyone an explanation, and neither did NukEncore.

Kuro A broke the silence first. "It’s all right. T-This is our first important guild mission, so it stands to reason that some of us may be nervous or emotional."

He inhaled deeply and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

That was close! I only stuttered once! What a beautiful voice she has! I must keep my composure. Miss Cassandra will be watching the recordings later.

Kuro A could already imagine Cassandra watching the recording later, her calm eyes catching every hesitation, every stutter, and every missed beat. He had promised himself he would not get flustered today, but NukEncore’s shout still caught him off guard.

Her voice could turn curses into melodies, which was why she had pulled every stare toward herself.

At least, she had until Martin took the attention onto himself like a tank.

NukEncore stared at him as if she had been placed under a taunt skill. Her shoulders rose by a tiny amount, and the proud angle of her chin softened before she could stop it.

An uncontrollable smile spread across her face, making a few female players who had hit on Martin earlier turn jealous.

Chaosgraphy watched the attention bounce from NukEncore to Martin, and the corner of her lips curled as if she had just seen a trap close perfectly.

Crimson Halo’s eyes softened for a moment, though the smile she hid behind her hand carried a trace of teasing.

The rest of Martin’s team only sighed and kept their expressions under control.

Martin turned on their party voice chat.

[Emperoar: Turn on the voice chat. You can scream and laugh to your heart’s content here.]

[Chaosgraphy: She should have it turned on by default.]

[NukEncore: Mhm! I apologize!]

[Chaosgraphy: You’re definitely not sorry.]

Rose covered a small laugh behind her hand. "Your party really is lively, Martin."

"That’s the polite way to say it," Martin replied.

NukEncore’s smile twitched for half a second.

Then, as if some invisible switch had been flipped, she straightened beside Martin and let her staff slide slowly through her fingers until its end tapped softly against the floor.

Her avatar did not have Rose’s polished healer charm or Crimson Halo’s mature grace. Even so, the way she lifted her chin made the plainness feel intentional, like a stage costume chosen before the main performance.

"Hmph," NukEncore said, her voice sweet enough to make several nearby players glance over again. "Lively is the minimum standard around Emperoar."

After that, she looked away with exaggerated dignity, as if she had not just tried to reclaim the entire room in one breath.

A few nearby players were still staring when Kuro A cleared his throat and returned to the briefing.

"Fire magic remains important in Cascade Valley. Dark Aquatic Ant eggs can’t handle high temperatures. One of our objectives is to clear those eggs before the Queens of each nest forcibly hatch them and send monster waves at us."

A few players shifted at that.

Kuro A continued without losing pace. "I’ll monitor the cooldowns of every Fire Mage’s AOE skills. Until your parties reach the hearts of the nests, avoid wasting your longest cooldowns. Smaller spells and controlled burns will make the nest-clearing phase much smoother."

NukEncore whipped toward Kill Clause in a flash. "Elder Sister! I knew you wouldn’t allow me to be completely useless!"

Crimson Halo coughed.

Chaosgraphy unsheathed one of her twin swords and tapped NukEncore on the head with the hilt, forcing her to duck and clutch her head.

"Uh!" NukEncore turned around, only to meet Chaosgraphy’s piercing stare.

It dealt emotional damage in a game where pain did not exist.

Martin tilted his head in confusion, then looked away and returned his attention to Kuro A. Inwardly, he was impressed by the man.

He’s going to keep an eye on every party’s cooldowns? Is he serious, or is he trying to impress Cassandra? If he can really pull that off, he’s top-notch. Cassandra found another good one.

Kuro A’s fingers moved across the projection again. They trembled once near the controls, but the markers he shifted across the map were precise.

Several party markers settled into neat rows. Frontliners moved to the outer edges. Support parties slid toward the middle. Fire Mages appeared as small red icons, spaced apart instead of clumped together.

At first glance, the formation looked almost too careful.

A moment later, the reason became clear to Martin. Every row, spacing gap, and party marker served the same purpose.

This was a caravan prepared for trouble.

The briefing ended soon after.

Kuro A dismissed the last projection with a swipe of his hand. The glowing map folded into itself, party markers flashed once above the crowd, and the guild moved before the silence could settle.

Players fell into formation instead of scattering into noisy groups. Party markers adjusted above their heads, supply teams gathered near the middle, and frontliners filtered toward the lead without needing to be shouted at.

For a guild that had just witnessed NukEncore declare war on a valley, the recovery was almost too smooth.

Martin watched Kuro A give a few final instructions through the guild channel and smiled to himself.

Cassandra really prepared this. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Boots struck the stone path in steady rhythm, and the long line of players moved away from the academy grounds.

Martin glanced back once as the academy buildings fell behind him. After spending so long buried in his unusual gameplay path, even the simple act of leaving the grounds felt strangely new.

The academy’s border did not look extraordinary.

In fact, it was only a simple river, the same kind Martin had seen next to Robert’s smithy.

Even so, the Light Tree’s glow reached all the way to the water and reflected across its surface. The faint radiance shimmered over the current like a protective veil.

It was the highest-quality deterrent against monsters, and it said plenty about the Light Tree’s importance. It also gave the whole border a quiet charm.

To cross the river, one of the hunters posted at the border activated a skill. Roots rose from the ground and stretched across the water, weaving together until they formed a bridge.

"Must be one of Master Raven’s Imprinter items," Martin commented aloud to his teammates as the guild began crossing the border in an organized march.

"Yes, it reminds me of his wooden sword’s skill," NukEncore replied.

Just like that, Martin and the others entered the neutral zone.

[You’re in the neutral zone.]

[The laws of Monster Hunter Academies do not apply here.]

The air changed first.

A colder breeze rolled across the river behind them, carrying none of the academy’s warmth. The Light Tree still shone in the distance, but its comfort felt thinner with every step.

"Hmph. If other academies want to block our road, they should at least bring proper applause," NukEncore said, resting her staff against her shoulder.

Chaosgraphy’s smile sharpened as she looked ahead. "How thoughtful. The welcoming party came with weapons."

Crimson Halo stayed close enough for her tome to brush against her hip, her warm gaze moving from Martin to the road. "My, my. Please don’t let them bait you before the real mission even starts."

Kill Clause did not slow her steps. "They are spread too evenly. This is not random."

Martin tightened his grip on his shield handle.

A few minutes deeper into the neutral zone, the cold sharpened again.

Players from other academies appeared ahead of them, spreading across the path as if they had been waiting for Cassandra’s guild.

Different academy emblems glowed above their shoulders, mixed together in a loose line that looked too organized to be coincidence.

One of them rolled his shoulder and let his weapon rest lazily against his neck. Another raised two fingers toward Cassandra’s guild, not quite a wave and not quite a challenge.

Some held weapons openly. Others stood with relaxed confidence, wearing the smug smiles of players who wanted the first screenshot, the first clash, or the first rumor tied to Cassandra’s guild.

Kuro A’s voice came calmly through the guild chat.

[Kuro A: Someone leaked our plans. But I expected players to be our first enemies. That’s why we are in this formation.]

Martin chuckled.

Alright, Kuro A. You’re the real deal.