The raid was a resounding success.

  Guided by the magic of the players below, Aphrodite’s nitroglycerin dropped from the skies like a falling star, detonating with a deafening boom that reverberated through the mountains. The ground quaked as the explosion sent shockwaves throughout the mine, hurling dirt, debris, and rocks in all directions. The panicked cries of the workers were swallowed by the thunderous chaos, and within moments, the guards and acolytes stationed around the entrance rushed out in a frenzy, trying to assess the damage.

  But it was exactly what the players had planned for.

  Hidden in the nearby foliage, the ambush team sprang into action. Chicken, cackling with unrestrained glee, led the charge alongside Butterfly, diving headfirst into the heart of the pandemonium. Meanwhile, Sean, Zero, and Prominence led the other group to launch a barrage of spells toward the bewildered enemy acolytes. In the confusion, the enemy acolytes were quickly overwhelmed, unable to mount a proper defense against the coordinated assault.

  “Go! Go! Go! Raid the mine!” Prominence shouted as the rest of the players surged forward, breaking through the weakened defenses.

  “Freedom!”

  “Today is a good day to die!”

  One after another, the players’ war cries rang through the air, becoming a battle hymn of chaos.

  “Who are you people?! Dare to mess with the Cult?”

  “Fight back! We can kill them if we use our spells!”

  The acolytes, though stunned by the sudden assault, didn’t go down without a fight. Magic spells rained down on the players in retaliation, bolts of lightning, fireballs, and sharp bursts of ice cutting through the chaos.

  Storm, charging headlong into the fray, was struck by a bolt of lightning square in the chest from one of the acolytes. Still, despite his body smoking from the hit, he lunged forward with his cutlasses and cut down his foe with a desperate swing before hitting the ground hard.

  “Storm’s down! Cover him!” Sean shouted and took the chance to cast {Flame Dart} toward another acolyte, burning him mid-cast. The enemy shrieked as flames engulfed him, leaving him vulnerable for a follow-up strike.

  Prominence, Butterfly, and the others rushed ahead, cutting down the remaining enemies with brutal efficiency. Within minutes, the entrance to the mine was secured. The remaining defending acolytes and guards either lay dead or had fled deeper into the tunnel. They had pretty much neutralized any remaining resistance.

  “Clear!” Thunder shouted.

  “Move in! We’ve got a mine to raid!” Zero ordered, leading the players forward, adrenaline still surging through them.

  Sean followed closely, his heart racing with excitement. The hard part was over; now it was time to claim the spoils and finish off anyone left standing.

  ***

  An hour later, the mine was fully conquered. After clearing the entrance, the players split into smaller teams to sweep through the mine’s branching tunnels with precision. Though there was some resistance deeper within, there was nothing that could stop the relentless advance of the raid.

  Finally, they reached the heart of the mine, where the main stash was kept.

  “Whoa...” Sean muttered as he stepped into the massive underground chamber. The air was thick with dust and dampness, but all eyes were locked on the pile of shimmering crystals that dominated the room’s center.

  That must be the aetherite. And a lot of it.

  “There’s so much of it!” Prominence exclaimed, his eyes wide as he approached the glowing heap. “They must’ve been mining this for months. Maybe even longer.”

  Storm, who was still injured by the clash and drinking a health potion, grinned. “Well, regardless of the reason, the more, the better. This haul’s going to bring us a ton of merit points. Let’s not waste time and gather it up! The longer we stay, the more likely we’ll run into trouble.”

  The players all nodded and moved quickly, casting various spells and using bags — many of which they’d looted from the mine itself — to carry as much of the precious aetherite as possible. Meanwhile, the beastmen they had freed from slavers earlier in the morning were rallying the miners to escape. Of course, since the players knew that was part of the agreement, none of them tried to stop them.

  “Alright, let’s get out of here. Head back to the dirigible!” Zero signaled once the last of the aetherite was secured. It was time to make their exit.

  The players moved swiftly through the tunnels, retracing their steps back to the surface. By the time they emerged into the open air, the dirigible was waiting for them, its sleek form hovering just above the ground. Eleanor, the ever-reliable blacksmith NPC, stood on deck, with arms crossed and a wide grin on her face as she watched their approach. She was right on time.

  “Load it up!” Thunder shouted, tossing his bag into the cargo hold. The others followed suit, their bags clattering into place as they climbed aboard.

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  Just as the dirigible prepared to lift off, a lone figure sprinted toward them from the tunnel. It was the beastman leader, the one they had freed from the slavers.

  “Wait!” he shouted, breathless as he approached.

  The dirigible halted its ascent as the beastman reached them. His kin had already fled into the forest, scattering into the safety of the wilderness. But for some reason, he had stayed behind, alone.

  “Your leader promised me,” the beastman said, catching his breath as he stared up at the players. “Freedom as well as a cure for me and my people. Where is he?”

  This key NPC is very smart, Sean thought as he realized that the AI for an NPC outside the academy was more advanced than he’d expected, almost unnervingly so.

  Zero exchanged glances with all the players before turning back to the beastman. “The headmaster’s not here right now. Besides, the promise was for your cure, not your people’s. If you want more, you’ll have to speak with him directly. You can come with us. But the rest of your kin can go free; they’ll be safer in the forest, anyway.”

  The beastman hesitated and gritted his teeth, glancing back at the treeline where his people had disappeared. After a few seconds, he nodded decisively. “Fine. I’ll go with you.”

  “Alright,” Zero replied. “Get on board, then. The headmaster will see you once he returns.”

  Without further hesitation, the beastman climbed aboard the dirigible, casting one last, lingering glance at the forest as the ship lifted into the sky. The mine and the chaos below shrank into the distance as the dirigible ascended, leaving destruction behind. The players exchanged glances, feeling the familiar rush of accomplishment.

  Another mission completed, another victory for the academy. And with it, another step toward the grand ambition that awaited them all.

  ***

  The moon had risen high in the sky by the time Victor found the dirigible hovering over the forest. Thanks to the players’ Shadowlink Marks, tracking their location had been simple, but even with the flying ability of an Elemental Adept Magus, it still took him a couple of hours to get here.

  Lillie’s eyes widened in awe as she gazed at the massive flying vessel. “Mentor, is that a... flying ship?” she asked, a tone of curiosity filling her voice. “Lillie has only read about these in books…”

  “Mm, that’s right.” Victor nodded in satisfaction. “But don’t be too impressed yet — there are far more incredible things waiting for you back at the academy.” That last part of the sentence was stretched from the truth, as there wasn’t much more at the academy besides the citadel and the System’s buildings. Still, part of his role as her mentor was to maintain an air of mystery and charisma.

  At least, that was what his mentor back at the Arcane Radiance College taught him.

  “More incredible things…” Lillie whispered, her eyes sparkling with wonder as she mulled over his words.

  As soon as Victor and Lillie boarded the dirigible, the players who were still active immediately swarmed them with excitement, eyes gleaming with eagerness.

  “Respected Headmaster, you’re back!” Prominence called out, practically bouncing on the spot.

  “Esteemed Headmaster, who’s the beautiful litt—”

  “Ooh! A new NPC! Look at her, so cute and innocent! We got ourselves a good one this time! Yippee!” Locktekei cheered, perhaps a little too enthusiastically.

  “Why are you saying that like a pervert?” Auralise nearby chided, rolling her eyes.

  Victor suppressed a smirk at this scene, knowing full well how the players saw this world. Lillie, on the other hand, shrank back slightly under the attention, gripping the edge of Victor’s robe.

  Clearing his throat, Victor raised a hand, gesturing for quiet. “Everyone, meet Lillie arc Brightmoon,” he announced in his usual commanding tone. “She’ll be staying with us from now on as my personal apprentice. Show her the same respect you would any other academy personnel.”

  Lillie blinked nervously, then offered a shy bow. “H-Hello.”

  The players erupted into a chorus of excited greetings, like a crowd of crazed fans meeting their favorite celebrity. Some players in the back whispered about starting a fan club for Lillie, just as they had done for Lizbeth. Lizbeth’s fan club, by this point, had garnered thousands of members, far exceeding the number of players currently active in the game. Victor was still confused about how that was even possible, considering that she was not too keen to get along with the players.

  “Dude, she’s our new mascot!” CookieMons declared confidently. “I bet she’s going to be super important later.”

  “Absolutely,” KuroUsagi muttered back. “It’s best to get on her good side. Not that anyone will be hostile to her after looking at her innocent appearance.”

  “Yeah! I’ll beat anyone who makes her cry.” Chicken hit his palm.

  “I’m just glad I’ve got my recording turned on,” said Storm, capturing every moment of the scene.

  Victor didn’t mind the players’ enthusiasm, but he calmed the crowd. “Alright, that’s enough excitement for tonight. Everyone, return to your rooms and get some rest.”

  Reluctantly, the players dispersed, still buzzing with excitement as they drifted back to their quarters. Once they were out of sight, Victor turned to lead Lillie to her room. Just as he was about to do so, a figure burst out from the dirigible’s bridge.

  “Yo, Victor!” Eleanor’s voice rang out as she rushed toward him with her outgoing energy. “I sensed you the moment you set foot on board— Oooh! Who’s this adorable little girl!”

  Before Victor could respond, Eleanor scooped Lillie into a tight hug. Unlike Lizbeth, who would fly away to escape, Lillie didn’t flinch. In fact, she returned the embrace, resting her head against Eleanor’s shoulder.

  “Hey,” Eleanor suddenly shot Victor a suspicious look and interrogated, “you didn’t, like, kidnap her or somethin’, did you?”

  Victor was utterly speechless. That’s the first that crosses your mind? Is she pulling my leg?

  So much for holding up his dignity as the mysterious and powerful headmaster of a Magus academy. He could feel his carefully cultivated air of authority crumbling under her accusation. Thankfully, the players had already returned to their rooms; otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to uphold his image in front of them.

  “Er, of course not!” Victor finally managed, shaking his head. He quickly explained her circumstances, recounting everything that she had gone through.

  As Eleanor listened, her eyes welled up with tears. She hugged Lillie even tighter. “Boohoo. You poor child. Come, come, big sister’s going to pamper you now.”

  Lillie, who had been holding back her emotions all this time, finally let herself break down. She buried her face in Eleanor’s shoulder and sobbed, her small frame trembling. “L-Lillie… has done… her b-best,” she choked out, her words muffled by Eleanor’s embrace.

  “There, there.” Eleanor gently stroked her hair. “You don’t have to carry that burden alone anymore. You’re safe now.”

  Victor stood by silently, watching all of this. He actually never knew that Eleanor could be that empathetic to people’s circumstances. Whatever the case, he decided to leave and let Eleanor soothe and embrace Lillie, as he himself wasn’t good at this kind of thing.

  But as he made his way to the other part of the dirigible, a therianthrope came out of the shadow at the corner of the room and blocked his path.