*** Recon report
Victor had been cutting through the orcs like they were nothing—barely even trying—until the big one stepped in.
Huge. Covered in tattoos. No weapon. Just his bare fists.
"GRAAA!" the orc leader roars as he charges.
Victor treats the guy like any other grunt and launches another energy blade.
Big mistake.
The orc barrels straight through it, barely slowing.
Oh. Finally. The pretty boy's about to get what he deserves.
Unfortunately, the orc's punch slams into an invisible wall.
Another skill borrowed from one of his teammates, no doubt about it.
Still, the orc doesn't back off. He starts hammering the barrier again and again, each blow shaking the air.
"Worthy effort, beast, but you will not—"
Victor cuts himself off as cracks spider across the magical wall.
Panic flashes across his face, and he immediately unloads everything he's got.
A massive fireball. Lightning crashing down. Blinding arcs of sword energy that could probably be seen from half a mile away—all of it slamming into the orc at once.
When the smoke clears, the orc leader's down.
Total overkill, if you ask me.
But… that kind of firepower?
Yeah. I guess Victor's reputation didn't come from nowhere.
With their boss gone, the rest of the orcs crumble fast, and Victor strolls in to claim the idol like it was all part of the plan.
"Victory is ours!" He declares, hoisting the prize overhead.
…Except it looks broken. Missing its wings and cracked. Not exactly shocking. In his enthusiasm to show off, Victor leveled the entire fortress—including the hut housing the idol.
Whatever. He got what he came for, which means we can finally leave. And by that, I mean put as much distance between us and that blowhard as physically possible.
"My deepest thanks, lovely ladies, for guiding me to this treasure," Victor croons in that smooth-but-infuriating tone. "I must take my leave now, but don't be sad. I'm certain we'll enjoy a second date together."
…Gross. Does he have to say it like that?
"Until next time!"
And just like that, Victor and the rest of his team vanish from the realm.
"Who would ever go on a date with you?!" I shout the second he's gone.
Jess arches an eyebrow at my outburst.
"Feeling better?" she asks, stepping up beside me.
"Ugh. No. I can still feel his magic crawling on my skin." And his eyes on my chest. "Val! Purify this area of his presence!"
"On it!"
Before anyone can stop her, Val unleashes a massive explosion right where Victor had been standing.
Ah… much better.
Jess, however, does not look pleased.
"What?" I protest. "His magic was lingering. It's disgusting."
"What magic?" Fie asks, popping up behind us.
"Charm magic," I answer.
"He was using charm?" Jess says, clearly surprised.
"Constantly," I confirm.
"How can you tell?" Val asks.
"I can feel it," I say, shuddering at the memory. "Like slimy filth crawling over my skin. It's my magic sense trait."
"That's so cool!" Val beams. "Like arachnid senses!"
…No idea what she's talking about. Does she mean spider—
"Fie, status check," Jess cuts in with urgency.
"Already on it," Fie reports, eyes glowing faintly from casting appraisal. "No one's charmed."
Yeah. That's why I'm here. But I guess it's important to confirm.
Jess nods, relieved. "Alright. Let's head back and report."
We rematerialize at the Saviors' headquarters and waste no time getting out of there. None of us want to linger and risk crossing paths with Victor again. Then again, with an ego like his, he's probably already gone, boasting to the media about claiming an EXP idol. Even so, I don't relax until I'm back at the NAA, in a locked room—safe from those wandering eyes of his.
Ugh. I swear, if I ever catch myself staring at a woman's chest like that creep does, I'm knocking myself out.
"So," Nolan asks the moment he walks in, "how did the mission go?"
Straight to business. Figures—he didn't have to deal with Victor.
I shoot him a glare.
After all the misery he put me through, he deserves some kind of punishment—
He sets a box of donuts on the table.
From my favorite shop.
…Damn it. He knows me too well.
I grab a donut. One with chocolate glaze and sprinkles.
Nolan smiles as I do.
Hey, don't think this means I forgive you for sending me on that nightmare of a mission. It'll take a lot more than just donuts to—
I take a bite.
Oh. Freshly baked.
…Okay. The donuts are a good start to forgiveness.
I keep munching while Fie gives her report.
"I couldn't obtain any solid proof of charm magic misuse," she says. "They had appraisal countermeasures on all their members."
"How is that possible?" Nolan frowns. "We found no evidence of the Saviors acquiring that many anti-appraisal items. Do they have another way to—"
"Maybe Victor's sharing resistance through that magic link," I say, half-thinking to myself.
Everyone turns to look at me.
…Did I say that out loud?
I ignore the stares and go for another bite of pastry.
These are really good—
"Oh no, you don't," Nolan snaps, grabbing my arm before I can continue. "Explain."
And I do. Mostly because there are still some donut flavors I haven't tried yet, and Nolan clearly isn't letting go until I talk.
I explain how Victor was channeling his party's skills and magic.
"So he's magically linked to the women on his team?" Jess asks.
I nod, shake Nolan off, and resume eating.
"Then it's entirely possible he's sharing a skill that blocks analysis," Fie concludes.
"So how are we going to prove charm misuse?" Val asks.
"Take Victor out," I say flatly.
"We're not murderers," Nolan reminds me.
"Not permanently," I reply. "Just his avatar."
"…The death penalty," Jess says slowly.
I nod.
Exactly. If Victor's avatar goes down, he won't be able to use any of his skills until the penalty ends.
"But how are we supposed to take him out?" Fie questions.
"Oh, leave that part to me," I tell them.
They all glance my way—then immediately go back to brainstorming like I hadn't said a word.
"Maybe an ambush?" Jess suggests.
"It'll be tough," Nolan replies. "We have no way of knowing which realm he'll head into next."
"Hey! I'm serious here!" I snap. "I've got a plan."
"Ja—Violet," Nolan corrects himself quickly. "No offense, but your plans tend to be… too straightforward."
…Harsh, but yeah, okay, fair. however—
"Have you seen this guy's ego?" I cut in. "All we have to do is ask him out on a date—"
Ugh… the thought alone makes my stomach churn—
"—and he'll come sprinting."
"That…" Nolan narrows his eyes, thinking. "Okay, you might be onto something." He sighs. "So what's the plan?"
I smile, and not the friendly smile.
*** Honey trap?
The first step of the plan is telling Victor that I'm willing to personally help him get an EXP idol. One that isn't broken.
…Yeah. I'll let Nolan handle that part.
As for the next step of the plan… Well, that's for later. For now, I'll just train until Victor takes the bait.
Me and the rest of the Happy Go-Getters enter a graveyard-like realm and start smashing skeletons. Humanoid shapes made of nothing but bone. No muscles, no organs, no ligaments… How are they even moving?
Still, it's pretty satisfying to feel their bones crack beneath my punches.
Ahh… violence.
After going so long without a real fight, it feels amazing—letting loose, getting the blood pumping again.
I grab one skeleton by the skull, yank its head clean off, and chuck it like a throwing weapon.
Yeah. They're not exactly strong fighters, but they're fun. Like knocking over a set of building blocks.
"More incoming!" Fie warns.
I glance up to see another pack of rattling bones charging us, rusty swords and spears clanking in their hands.
"I'm on it!" I shout, cranking overpower to 100%.
Bones scatter into the air as I bulldoze through their ranks. There were a lot of them, but… The fight still ends too quickly for my liking.
At least I level up.
And the timing couldn't have been better. There's a skill from my last tier I've been meaning to grab.
"Another wave incoming!" Jess shouts.
Dang it. I'll deal with the level up later. Fight now.
We end up pushing through five more waves of skeletons.
I know I said I wanted more action, but… five whole waves? Even I'm exhausted by the end. This realm definitely favors quantity over quality.
Still… It's a solid workout.
"My feet feel like soggy noodles!" Val groans as we rematerialize back inside the NAA building. "I don't want to take another step."
"I'm with Val," Fie adds, wobbling toward the nearest bench and collapsing onto it.
Okay… maybe that was more than just a solid workout. Even Jess looks like she's about to fold, though she's trying really hard not to show it.
Yeah. Let's call it a day. Rest up and see how far Nolan has gotten with his side of the plan.
I get my answer to that particular question way too early the next morning.
And I mean early.
"We got a reply from Victor!" Nolan practically screams through the phone. "Get over to the NAA now! We need to prep for the next phase!"
Oh, Nolan…
You'll always have a special place in my heart—the one reserved for whoever annoys me the most. Seriously. You called me at this unlawful hour just for that? It couldn't have waited until after the sunrise?
Well, no way I'm getting back to sleep after that loud call. Might as well get up and go.
I make it to the NAA early enough to run into the night crew still clocking out.
"Violet! Meeting room. Now!" Nolan shouts the second he spots me.
Yeah, yeah. I'm coming. Cut me some slack—I haven't even had coffee yet.
I step inside and glance around.
"The others aren't here?" I ask. They're usually here before me.
"Didn't call them," Nolan says, taking a seat.
Didn't call them?
"But you called me?"
"Yep." He grins.
…Nolan. Sometimes I really hate you—
Wait!
"Is this payback for making you—"
"Talk to that pathetic excuse for a man named Victor? You bet," he finishes.
"It was that bad?"
"He spent the whole time complaining that he's too popular for his own good."
Ouch. Nothing worse than a narcissist pretending to be modest. Okay, yeah, I get why Nolan's feeling vindictive.
Still doesn't justify dragging me out of bed at dawn.
I sigh. Whatever. I'm here now.
"So… how'd the talk go?"
Nolan explains that Victor practically jumped at the offer for help.
Yeah. That pretty much confirms that his EXP idol doesn't work.
He also says that Victor opened up his schedule for today.
"Said it would be rude to make a lady wait," he adds.
Ew. Corny as ever.
"Think you'll be up for it?" Nolan asks. "We don't have much prep time."
I grin.
Oh yeah.
I just got a new skill I've been itching to try—Drain Magic. Lets me siphon mana straight from anyone I touch. Perfect for how I fight.
With it, I can keep my magic reserves up even with overpower active. And… I'll be able to use the Goblin King's Crown for a speed boost at the same time.
On top of that, I used the money I've saved up to order some new gear—defensive trinkets to offset Victor's ridiculous burst damage.
I'm ready.