Victor and his group stepped off the dirigible’s ramp, his boots clinking lightly against the metal as he took in the familiar grounds of the academy. Ahead, a crowd of envious players had gathered to witness their return—almost like fans awaiting their idols at a concert.

  Behind him, the returning expedition members basked in the attention, elated to be welcomed like war heroes. They raised their hands and waved at the crowd, with some like Prominence and Locktekei, in particular, making a spectacle—blowing kisses and waving both hands exuberantly, as if they were celebrities. Have they no shame?

  Jealous voices floated from the crowd, only adding to the spectacle.

  “Man, I’d give anything to be on an expedition like that…”

  “Look at those smug pricks, acting like heroes.”

  “Headmaster! Put me on the next expedition! We’re ready for anything!”

  Victor pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head.

  Glancing around the sea of faces, he couldn’t help but be amused by the mix of admiration and jealousy. Well, he couldn’t blame them; this expedition had not been open to all players, after all. Only the best had been selected.

  Beside him, Eleanor smirked, catching on to the frustrated looks in the crowd. “Looks like we’re the stars of the show,” she teased, giving Victor a playful shoulder bump.

  Victor rolled his eyes, biting back a remark. Stars? You’re just an NPC to them— No, we both are NPCs in the players’ eyes… Victor wanted to tell her that, but decided it wasn’t a good time.

  Suddenly, Victor felt a small bump against his back and turned to find Lillie clutching her head, wincing slightly.

  “Sorry. Lillie was not paying attention…” she murmured, her gaze flicking nervously to the crowd around them.

  “It’s alright.” Victor gave her a reassuring pat on the head. Then, turning back to the gathered players, he released a wave of mana, letting its subtle force wash over them to bring their chatter to a hush. He scanned the crowd, noting the eager expressions and the underlying desire to be part of something bigger. The expedition had stirred something in them—a hunger to prove their worth.

  If that was the case, why not use this chance to rile them up for the incoming threat?

  “Do you want a chance to join the next expedition?” Victor addressed them, his voice calm yet commanding. “If you think you have the skills, then prove it.”

  The crowd quieted down, their eyes glued on Victor.

  “The academy will soon face a great threat,” he continued. “A challenge that will demand the strength and determination of every capable soul. Those who rise to the occasion, who can prove themselves worthy in the face of calamity, will be called upon.”

  He paused, letting the words sink in before finishing. “So prepare yourselves. The next phase is on the horizon, and the academy will need each of you at your best. This will be another battle of fate that will decide the future of our academy.”

  In an instant, the crowd burst into excited chatter, exchanging animated glances as they tried to decipher Victor’s words.

  “Confirmed. The next update is near!” someone exclaimed eagerly.

  “Since the last intermittent update was supposed to end the alpha version, does that mean we’re entering the closed-beta phase soon?”

  “I wonder what this ‘trial’ and ‘calamity’ could be about?” a player mused with anticipation. “Maybe there’s a new faction or some kind of powerful enemy coming to invade the academy again?”

  Amid the speculation, Victor and his group made their way toward one of the four academy gates that passed through the wall that had been constructed around its perimeter.

  One voice in the crowd suddenly piped up, “Hey, who’s that cute little girl behind the headmaster? Is she a new NPC?”

  “She’s adorable… And that pure, innocent look on her face just makes me want to protect her with everything I’ve got,” another player sighed dreamily.

  “That must be Lillie! The one who’s been talked about in the forum!”

  “Yippee! It’s loli for the win!”

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  A player beside him scoffed and lifted an imaginary phone to his ear while holding the commenter’s shoulder. “Yes, hello, Nine-One-One? I have the suspect in sight. He’s going to need maximum security, please.”

  Victor, of course, paid no mind to the players’ senseless jokes and stepped through the academy’s southern gate. However, the moment he crossed the threshold, a sudden flash of light zipped toward him.

  “Master! You’re back!” Lizbeth’s familiar voice chimed with unmistakable joy.

  Victor could have sidestepped, but he knew better than to try. Before he could even lift a hand, Lizbeth—his spirited assistant fairy—zipped right up to his face. With a delighted giggle, she leaned in and planted a quick, feather-light kiss on his nose. He had expected the usual hug, but this... this had caught him completely off guard.

  The players erupted in shocked gasps and excited chatter. Eleanor, on the other hand, observed the scene with a knowing smirk, while Lillie covered her mouth and blushed shyly.

  “Did you see that?” Prominence exclaimed, pointing and staring in shock. “Ms. Fairy just kissed the headmaster!”

  “Does this confirm that romantic relationships between NPCs are a thing?” Storm held his chin.

  “Wait, but what about Eleanor… If the headmaster’s with the fairy now,” Locktekei murmured.

  One player among the crowd groaned in exaggerated despair. “I swear, NPCs get all the luck… Why wasn’t it me?”

  Another jealous player pointed accusingly at Victor. “He’s got the cheat codes! Headmaster Privilege!”

  Honestly, these players… No matter how he disciplined them, they managed to get riled up over the silliest things. It was always one thing after another. When will I get a second of peace? And how am I supposed to keep any shred of dignity when they’re all trying to pull my leg…?

  Luckily, these players were a happy-go-lucky bunch who rarely took things too seriously. This moment, too, would probably blow over soon enough, quickly forgotten amidst the endless shenanigans that would ensue. Still, he wasn’t going to let such behavior go unchallenged, as he discreetly cast a slow-acting, weaker version of {Curse of the Nightmare} on the instigators. That was the price of trying to mess with an official Magus.

  Then, Lizbeth piped up, full of concern. “Master, Master! I’ve been waiting for your return! Please help with the urgent situation!” Despite her anxiety, her mischievous wink left no doubt that she was entirely too pleased with the reaction she'd just caused.

  Victor cleared his throat, straightening up to reclaim some semblance of authority. “Yes, yes, I’m back,” he replied, waving his hand as he continued through the gate with Lizbeth hovering proudly by his side. He turned to the gathered players, who were still buzzing with excitement over the spectacle. “All right, enough gawking! You’ve all got your tasks—back to work, everyone!”

  A collective groan rose up as the crowd reluctantly began to disperse, including players from the expedition. Some curious players shot glances back at Victor, but they immediately turned away when they caught his unwavering expression, hurrying off to avoid his gaze.

  Once the path cleared, Lillie tugged on Victor’s sleeve, her eyes fixed on the tiny fairy with a look of intense curiosity. “Um, Mentor… who is she?”

  Victor glanced at Lizbeth, who hovered with a smug grin. “Lillie, this is Lizbeth. She’s the academy’s assistant fairy and… well, something of a partner to me.”

  “What do you mean ‘something of a partner,’ huh?” Lizbeth harrumphed with hands on her hips, then she waved cheerily at Lillie. “Lovely to meet you, little lady! If you ever need anything, just call me. I’ll be around!”

  “She’s… beautiful,” Lillie whispered, captivated by the tiny, glowing figure before her. “Lillie has heard about fairies in many stories.”

  Hrm?

  The existence of fairies was only known to mages in this world. Ordinary humans, even if they were nobles, shouldn’t have such knowledge. Perhaps her parents had gathered some rare books for her. How interesting.

  “Lizzy! Want a hug from me?” Eleanor chimed in, arms open and ready.

  “And why are you even still here?” Lizbeth snapped at Eleanor. “There’s a mountain of work orders stacking up in the workshop. Your apprentices are practically drowning over there!”

  “Aw…” Eleanor’s face fell dramatically as she crossed her arms with a huff. “Fine, then. I’m not doing another ounce of work until you cheer me up, Lizzy.”

  Victor sighed and sent a telepathic message to Lizbeth: “How about you give her a quick hug, just to get her moving? I’ve got some food as souvenirs waiting for you.”

  “…Tch. Okay, fine!” Lizbeth scowled but reluctantly hovered over to Eleanor, giving her the world’s briefest, most reluctant hug before darting back to Victor’s side.

  Instantly, Eleanor’s mood brightened, as if her previous sadness had never been there in the first place. “See? Was that so hard?” she teased, already turning her head toward the workshop. “See you later, Victor, Lillie, and my cute Lizbeth.”

  Victor shook his head in dismay. All he was trying to do was run a Magus academy, yet somehow, it felt more like directing a comedy show.

  On the way, Lizbeth filled him in on the situation about SuperNova’s disappearance. Victor opened the Academy Inhabitant List, scrolling to his name, only to find it clouded by an error message. Some powerful force was clearly interfering with SuperNova’s status.

  But this raised a troubling question: What about SuperNova’s body back on Earth?

  The gaming capsule could sustain him for months, equipped with all necessary life-support functions. At least, Victor wouldn’t have to worry about him dying in the real world. But still, the longer SuperNova was absent, the greater the risk of discovery.

  As far as he knew, SuperNova was a college student. His absence from classes might not alarm his professors, but his friends would certainly start to worry. If they found him unresponsive in a gaming capsule, the attention it would draw could be problematic—or even dangerous.

  Magus Academy Online had been gaining substantial traction back on Earth. Although Victor hadn’t run major ads on social media—and he’d instructed Auralise, the main investor, to hold off on any big promotional campaigns—most gamers had heard rumors about this game. It was only a matter of time before the media would catch wind of it, and any strange occurrences involving players’ health could accelerate that interest far too quickly for comfort and in a bad way to boot.

  For now, he had to make sure that SuperNova’s body was monitored on Earth to prevent anything from getting out of hand. To do that, he had no choice but to contact Auralise and have someone check on SuperNova.