Kiriya stepped forward and picked up the helm CorrodedCrown_Gorath had dropped, and its stat panel popped up immediately.

  [Ivy Helm] (Bronze-Tier · Plate Armor)

  Defense: 54

  Strength: +7

  Stamina: +2

  Required Level: 14

  The helm had solid enough defense and decent bonus stats, but its bright emerald-green design made it impossible not to crack a joke about it.

  Kiriya hefted the helm in his hand and couldn't help but say. "Ivy Helm. Green from top to bottom."

  Violet immediately giggled behind her hand. "Just say it if you want to joke that it's a cuckold's special helm. It's not like I'll get embarrassed or anything. I've seen it all. I'm not some fresh-faced little girl straight out of college."

  Kiriya smiled. He couldn't deny that Violet had an incredibly captivating, mature charm, the very definition of a sophisticated woman. He twirled the helm in his hand and made a suggestion. "We'll head back to town and sell this. Split the money we get for it fifty-fifty?"

  "No need. You're the one who killed them all. This gear rightfully belongs to you." Violet smiled softly, then added. "It's getting late. You should log off and get some rest soon. Don't wear yourself out."

  Kiriya nodded, then crushed his Town Return Scroll and teleported back to the Starter Village. He shouted out a single offer in the square, and the Ivy Helm was sold immediately for 40 gold coins. Player levels had risen across the board by now, so gold wasn't all that hard to come by. The helm was useless to him anyway, so turning it into cold, hard gold was the smarter play.

  Before logging off, he pulled up the level leaderboard and glanced through it. He'd fallen out of the top 10 in the Azure Imperial Region, his Level 25 only landing him in 17th place. The top spot was still held by MoonYuki, who had already blasted her way to Level 28.

  Just who is this MoonYuki, anyway? Kiriya muttered the thought to himself, then pulled off his Mind Gear headset and logged off.

  ...

  Kiriya slept straight through until past eight in the morning. He was cutting it dangerously close to being late, so he sprinted all the way to the company without even stopping for breakfast. To his surprise, the run felt effortless, like his stamina had gotten a boost.

  As it turned out, both Violet and Summer were late too. It was nearly eleven o'clock when the two of them walked into the office, both sporting massive dark circles under their eyes.

  When Rainie asked what had happened, Petalia sighed in exasperation. "Summer and I are in the same Starter Village. I spent all last night carrying her to Level 19. I'm absolutely wiped."

  Summer immediately fired back, indignant. "You got to level up with a beautiful girl, got the better end of the deal by a mile, and you're still acting like you're put out? What's your problem?"

  "Spare me. Like, I'm not a beautiful girl, too." Petalia rolled her eyes.

  They'd barely exchanged a few more words when Mira pushed the door open and said. "All of you, come with me. We've got a meeting with the Operations Department."

  "A meeting?" Kiriya asked, confused.

  Mira nodded and smiled. "Yeah, it's about the virtual industry operations in the game. President Warren is leading it."

  Kiriya smiled. He'd finally get to see the fabled President for himself.

  Everyone stood up together. Kiriya followed behind the girls, walking side by side with Summer into the conference room in the office area. The large conference room could hold around fifty people, and it was already mostly full, with most of the attendees from the Game Exploration and Operations Departments.

  Mira sat to Kiriya's left, and Summer to his right.

  Summer glanced around at the female colleagues in the room, leaned in, and whispered enviously. "That secretary from the General Manager's Office has gotten even curvier."

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Kiriya turned to look at Summer. She was wearing a loose, low-cut camisole that day.

  Summer noticed his gaze and smiled at him, all charm and allure. "What do you think, Kiriya? I've got a pretty good figure, right?"

  Kiriya said offhandedly. "From the front, it's a range; from the side, a peak."

  Summer looked completely baffled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

  Mira added in a deadpan voice. "He's saying your chest looks completely flat from the front."

  Summer was instantly overcome with embarrassment and rage. She glared at Kiriya and snapped. "You're just as bad as the rest of them. I'm not talking to you ever again!"

  Kiriya snickered. He was actually glad for the peace. He'd never liked being teased by girls anyway, so it was good to put her in her place a little.

  Just then, someone suddenly called out. "President Warren is here!"

  Kiriya looked up. A handsome, fair-faced young man walked in, wearing a crisp, tailored suit, his hair neatly combed into a sleek side part that gave him a refined, effortless air.

  He couldn't help but blurt out in surprise. "That's Warren?"

  "That's him. President Warren of the company. He's a dual master's degree holder, born into a prestigious family, and he's been hired as the head of our Blue Star Group." Mira said.

  Summer added with a smile. "President Warren is incredibly accomplished for his age. I heard he's only 26."

  Kiriya blinked in surprise. The man was only four years older than him, yet he'd already climbed to such a high position. He was truly an exceptional talent.

  Warren walked to the head of the conference table with effortless poise, sat down, and spoke. "Is everyone here?"

  The head of the Marketing Department beside him replied at once. "Everyone is here except Director Yukina."

  "Oh? Yukina isn't here yet?" Warren's tone was warm and familiar, making it clear he knew Yukina very well.

  Kiriya blinked, then whispered to Mira. "What's his relationship with Yukina?"

  Mira glanced around, then lowered her voice and said. "Warren is Yukina's boyfriend. Not that Yukina ever gives him the time of day."

  An odd, uncomfortable feeling settled in Kiriya's chest. Yukina was Lina's twin sister, and they looked nearly identical. Every time he saw Yukina, he'd catch himself mistaking her for Lina. Now that he knew she had a handsome boyfriend like this, he couldn't help but feel a strange twinge of awkwardness.

  Warren cleared his throat softly and said. "Then we'll wait for her."

  Nearly ten minutes later, Yukina's figure finally appeared in the conference room doorway. Her hair was still damp, clearly having rushed over the second she'd woken up and washed up.

  To everyone's surprise, however, Yukina walked straight to the head seat at the table and sat down without a single word of apology, the seat that was meant for the President.

  Kiriya was confused and whispered to Mira. "Which position is higher? Director or President?"

  "On paper, the President is higher, of course," Mira said, then smiled. "I know what you're really asking, though. It's simple. The real owner of Blue Star Group is Tallis, and Yukina is Tallis's daughter. So around here, Yukina is the one who really calls the shots. As for Warren? To put it bluntly, he's just a highly skilled employee. Tallis thinks highly of him, wants to groom him as his successor, which is the only reason he let his daughter accept him as her boyfriend."

  Kiriya nodded slightly. He finally understood how things really worked around here.

  Mira smiled pointedly and added. "Warren's family has been in decline for years. He's just using this as a chance to marry into wealth, to restore his family's name with Blue Star Group's money. To put it simply, he's just a pretty boy with a fancy degree and nothing else to his name."

  Just then, Warren looked over at Yukina with a concerned expression, his voice soft and gentle. "Yukina, did you get enough rest?"

  But Yukina only said one thing, her tone flat and indifferent. "Start the meeting."

  A flicker of embarrassment crossed Warren's face, but he quickly regained his composure and announced in a loud, clear voice. "The topic of today's meeting is the operation of virtual assets within Eternal Art Online. The game has been live for two days now, and many of our employees have already reached Level 20 or higher. This afternoon, after you log in, everyone above Level 20 will gather in Dawn City. Each of you will contribute five gold coins as initial operating capital. Does anyone have a problem with that?"

  The male employees all nodded at once, but many of the female employees immediately began to complain. "We're not even Level 20 yet! We barely have enough gold to learn our skills, let alone any extra to contribute!"

  Warren smiled and calmed them down. "Anyone who doesn't want to level up will advance to a production class. Buy shovels, lumber axes, and other tools, and start leveling up your production skills early. As for the cost of learning skills, the combat class players will cover that. I hope that all of us at Blue Star Group can stand together and build something incredible in Eternal Art Online!"

  With that, he looked over at Yukina beside him for her approval. "Yukina, what do you think?"

  Yukina's brows furrowed slightly, her tone casual and uninterested. "I'll tally up the employees from the Planning Department and the Game Exploration Department. I don't want anything to do with the rest."

  Warren was shut down once again. He could only let out a bitter laugh and said nothing more.

  But just then, Yukina suddenly stood up, looked over at Kiriya and the others, and said. "Mira, Summer, and Kiriya, come with me to the Game Exploration Department. I have something to talk to you about."

  Kiriya froze for a second, but Summer had already grabbed his arm and pulled him up to walk out of the conference room.

  He glanced back over his shoulder as he left. Warren's face was livid with rage, and the chubby head of the Marketing Department beside him was quickly chuckling awkwardly to smooth things over. "President Warren, please don't take it personally. I'm sure Director Yukina is just in a bad mood."

  As Warren stared at Yukina's retreating, a faint, icy glint flashed in his eyes, one that no one else noticed.