“So, you have come here to find me for the cure?” Victor questioned, already aware of what this was all about.

  “That’s correct!” The therianthrope clenched his fists, his eyes burning with determination as he demanded, “I want the cure, for myself and for my people!”

  Victor shook his head with an unchanged expression. “But I didn’t promise a cure for anyone other than you. That was the agreement — nothing more, nothing less.” He wasn’t being unreasonable here, but he wouldn’t be doing something that wouldn’t benefit him in any way.

  The therianthrope’s face twisted in frustration, barely containing his anger. “You…!” For his people, contracting the disease was a slow death sentence. Those who couldn’t wield magic were especially vulnerable. He couldn’t accept that only he would survive while his people faced inevitable extinction.

  Victor watched him quietly for a moment, then spoke again. “But I have a proposal for you,” he said. “Rather than wandering from place to place, barely surviving, why not settle near my academy? If you and your people agree to sign a magic contract ensuring loyalty to me, I will give you the cure for everyone.”

  Most therianthropes were nomadic tribes. Those who typically stayed in one place lived far from the Luminous Kingdom. But Victor knew their value, as they were experts at foraging as well as hunting and scouting. Even if their contribution to the academy wasn’t immediately impactful, having them as “NPCs” would greatly enrich the experience for the players.

  “You want to enslave us?” The male therianthrope stared at him coldly.

  “Take it however you want, but don’t mistake me for the Cult. I’m offering you and your people a chance — not just to survive, but to thrive. Furthermore, I will get rid of the slave seals that were placed on your kin. The choice is yours.” Victor looked at the wolf therianthrope with a firm gaze.

  Slave seals were magic seals used by mages to make slaves obedient. Usually, only extraordinary life forms were marked by the slave seals. However, in the case of the therianthrope’s kin, the Cult was probably being cautious and minimizing risks of mutiny by using these seals. Those slavers were probably tasked with getting rid of him and his kin somewhere far away, but they were likely blinded by greed.

  “If you refuse, so be it. You’ll still receive the cure for yourself once we return to the academy.”

  Victor wouldn’t be losing anything even if he refused. After all, to cure them of their disease, Victor had to use precious academy points to purchase the potion recipe and would have to gather magical plants to concoct the potion. He was already being very generous here.

  The therianthrope stood in tense silence and thought hard for a full minute. Then, after a long moment, he took a deep breath and made his choice, opening his mouth. “Rex.”

  Victor raised an eyebrow. “Hm?”

  “My name is Rex.” the therianthrope repeated. Subsequently, in a gesture that took even Victor by surprise, Rex knelt before him, lowering his head — the defiant therianthrope was no more. “As long as you promise not to treat us like slaves and provide food and shelter for my tribe, I will serve you. And I swear, my people will never betray you.”

  “Good. Very good.” Victor smiled in satisfaction. “So be it then.”

  ***

  When the last player logged out from the dirigible, the official website forum gained momentum in terms of traffic. News of the successful raid on the slave traders and the mine spread like wildfire, and it wasn’t long before the forums were buzzing with excitement. But what really lit up the discussions was the introduction of the new NPC, who quickly captured everyone’s attention and adoration.

  Zylvern: “From raiding a slave camp to storming a mine packed with enemies. All in a single day. Damn, son!”

  Squadzell: “Man, I’m so jealous of you people selected for the expedition. Wish I’d been the one to experience it all…??”

  ProcrastinatingPanda: “Same here! But props to Storm for sharing the raid footage. I’ve already watched it twice!”

  Storm Bringer: “Glad you liked it! I’m editing the highlights now for my channel. Keep an eye out — it’s gonna be epic!”

  Unedited and raw, Storm’s footage had already become the number one trending video on the Magus Academy Online video hosting platform. Views skyrocketed, and the video raked in so much revenue that Storm, who was taken aback by the influx, wasn’t sure what to do with all the earnings. For now, all he could think about was reinvesting it back into the game to catch up to his friends.

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  ChickenSmackdownLevel99: “But seriously, the mine raid was the most insane! I mean, dropping nitro from the skies and watching those mobs below scramble?”

  Aphrodite96: “But of course. Who else but me could create that explosive? MVP status unlocked. ?(?ˉ?? )”

  Prominence: “For sure, that was epic! Best coordinated ambush we’ve done yet. We took out every last enemy in, what, two minutes? Prominence Skyfall Squad, let’s go!”

  Castlefrost: “What’s this Prominence Skyfall Squad all about?”

  ZeroXScyth: “Two minutes, my ass. It took more than an hour to scour the mine. We were lucky it wasn’t any bigger.”

  Storm Bringer: “It felt like I was down in half that time. That lightning spell still has me salty.”

  Prominence: “Don’t worry, Storm, my pal. You tanked like a boss. You should get a medal for not needing to respawn at Nexus Tower. Lol.”

  Storm Bringer: “A medal, my ass! Do you want me to shoot a lightning bolt in your face?!”

  KuroUsagi: “But did anyone else notice the weird magic formations in the corner of the chamber where we found the pile of aetherite? I feel like there’s some hidden lore we’re missing.”

  The players continued theorizing about what the enemy acolytes had been up to before the raid. Everyone agreed that there must be a hidden plotline that they hadn’t uncovered yet, and perhaps would become important in the future. The possibilities were endless.

  Locktekei: “Have you two @Prominence and @ChickenSmackdownLevel99 forgotten how you tossed me off the dirigible?! I will have my vengeance! Wait till that time comes! ??”

  ButterflyWingsAreDelicious: “Skydiving is a great experience. Stop whining or I’ll smack you again.”

  Locktekei: “Yes, ma’am…”

  GladiusZone: “Wait, did you guys actually skydive?! Man, that sounds to be a very thrilling thing to do in the game. #ExtremelyJealous”

  The conversation soon veered into discussing the new NPC that Victor had introduced upon his return.

  DigitalMagicianPatrick: “Speaking of which, I’d already logged out when it happened. But can anyone fill me in on the new NPC girl that the headmaster brought back?”

  Prominence: “Bro, I’ve been trying to hold back because I didn’t want to sound like a creep, but… Lillie’s basically a real-life fairytale princess. Cute as heck, so innocent, the whole package. It’s like we’ve just found ourselves a new mascot to protect!”

  Gigglebelly Grumblefart: “An NPC girl that the headmaster brought back? Is this some kind of kidnapping? Should I call the police? [Shocked.jpg]”

  MikeisHandsome1000x: “Dude, you’re exaggerating. No way she’s that cute. It’s just a game… Wait, if it’s in real life, you guys would have been charged with crimes.”

  Prominence: “What crimes? I’ve only stated the truth.”

  ButaYaarou: “Yup, I saw her in the footage, and she’s legit adorable! Alright, I’m forming the Lillie Knights. Who’s with me?”

  GiveMeTheNuclearCode: “Me, me, me!”

  Locktekei: “Me too!”

  SirLaughsALot: “Ahem.”

  ButaYaarou: “Oh, not again! Please don’t call the FBI!”

  SirLaughsALot: “Make way for the commander of the Lillie Knights.”

  GiveMeTheNuclearCode: “Did my eyes trick me?”

  ButaYaarou: “(⊙_☉)”

  SirLaughsALot: “Don’t get me wrong. I’m only trying to protect her from degenerates like you people.”

  It didn’t take long for the players to rally behind Lillie, already planning to protect her as if she were their own. Threads popped up across the forum, and soon, the “Lillie Knights” were trending as more players jumped into the discussion. Every detail of the expedition was being dissected, from the raid on the slavers to the ambush in the mine, and even the tiniest nuances were up for debate.

  As a matter of fact, the expedition wasn’t the only hot topic lighting up the forums. Several posts from exploration-focused players had sparked a flurry of discussion about the strange state of the Thornwood Forest. Sightings of undead creatures had been reported far away from the academy, and they seemed to be creeping closer with each passing day. This sparked many theories among players — some believed this was a precursor to a major update or event, while others were skeptical, debating whether these sightings were random spawns or something.

  Nevertheless, it remained a mystery about the undead’s origin or true purpose. And because of their growing numbers, many players were wary of engaging them, preferring to observe from a distance rather than risk being overwhelmed. After all, there were more immediate concerns around the academy grounds.

  One particularly chilling rumor had appeared: A player was mysteriously killed not far from the academy, supposedly caused by a terrifying monster lurking in the shadows. Though the exact details remained unclear, the story sent shivers down the spines of even the most veteran players, making everyone more cautious in the unexplored corners of the game world.

  ***

  Victor stood at the bridge of the dirigible, completely aware of the rumors going around on the official website forum. But other than instructing Lizbeth to keep a close watch and alert him if anything critical arose, he gave the matter little further thought. After all, he had his sight set on the main agenda of this expedition.

  Even if there were formidable enemies lurking out there near the academy, he was confident that the players would be able to hold the ground until he returned. Once he was back, any looming threats near the academy would be handled in due course.

  Now that the aetherite mine had been raided, he had checked off one of the main goals of this expedition. The rest was to source and secure a steady channel for the miscellaneous materials the academy needed. This would be where the players’ real-world expertise would be tested, as establishing this connection was essential for the academy’s continued advancement. Their ingenuity would play a key role in making it a reality.

  Furthermore, he had dropped off Rex near the mine to gather and lead his kin toward the academy. He expected that they would arrive at Thornwood Village in a week at most. Hopefully, everything would be smooth sailing from this point onward.

  Regardless, even though their journey had been delayed for a day for various reasons, it was finally time to press on toward Brightmoon City.