*** Shocking report
We reappear in the NAA lobby, and Mika bolts off to report to her superiors.
I still don't quite get what's so urgent that it needs immediate escalation, but whatever. Right now, I'm just relieved the reporters haven't stuck around.
"Want to grab something to eat?" Fie suggests.
We all agree and head toward one of the food spots. I order my usual: a massive protein shake, a mountain of eggs, spaghetti with spinach, and an unreasonable amount of cheese. A high-protein meal worthy of a bodybuilder.
"You're really going to eat all that?" Jess asks, holding a modest sandwich.
I pause mid-bite and glance down at my plate.
What? Is there a problem?
"I'd normally ask where you plan to fit all that food in such a small body," she continues, then glances pointedly at my chest—currently resting on the table like excess baggage. "But I think it's pretty obvious where it's going."
Where what is going?
"Well, she did burn a ton of calories in that fight," Fie adds.
Calories? Wait—are they worried I'll get fat? I'll have them know my body fat percentage is in the single digits—
I look down at my chest.
…This is all fat, isn't it?
And at this size, wouldn't that technically make me overweight?
No. No, don't think like that. They're boobs. That doesn't count… right?
Wait… What am I even thinking? Get it together, Jax. This isn't my real body—it's just an avatar. Remember: I'm actually a tall, muscular guy.
"I'm fine," I say. This much food is necessary to maintain my muscle mass. Besides, "I'll just work off any excess."
I take a big bite and start chewing.
"Really? Burn all of that?" Val asks, eyeing the pile of food in front of me. "What do you do, some kind of secret routine to stay in shape?"
I swallow and answer casually, "Just my usual daily workout. A hundred deadlifts, pull-ups, sit-ups, leg presses, and a ten-kilometer run."
The table goes quiet.
What? Did I say something weird?
"Dude," Val finally says, "you just described, like, a month's worth of workouts."
"Seriously," Jess adds, impressed. "That's intense. Are you a pro athlete or something, if you don't mind me asking?"
I don't mind.
"Ex-military, actually," I reply.
"Oh!" Val says. "So that's why you're so good at fighting. Huh. I imagined a way cooler reason."
We all stare at her.
…What exactly did she imagine?
Noticing our looks, she grins and starts, "See, I thought—"
"Nope!" Fie cuts in instantly. "We do not need to know."
And honestly? I'm with Fie. Some things are better left undiscovered, especially whatever goes on inside Val's head.
We finish eating—well, the others do—and then patiently wait while I polish off the rest. It took longer for me to finish than expected. It feels like my succubus form has a smaller mouth than I'm used to.
After that, we linger at the table to plan our next outing. I vote for tackling a rank-four realm. I still haven't tried one, and honestly? It sounds like a blast.
Then Mika comes back, this time with Nolan in tow.
"Violet!" Nolan bellows. "You crazy bastard! I could kiss you."
Absolutely not. Revolting.
"Well? Come on, show me the item," he presses, completely ignoring my look of disgust.
Ah. So it's about that. Should have known. But seriously, what's the big deal? It just gives you a bit more EXP. Train some more and you'll have the same effect. No big deal.
"Sure," I say with a shrug and materialize the idol from my inventory.
Nolan studies it, then arches an eyebrow.
"Interesting design," he mutters.
Crap. I forgot it's modeled after me. I fix him with a sharp glare—the don't-you-dare-comment-on-the-looks kind. Not that I trust him to take the hint.
"So we're confident about the effect?" he asks Mika.
That catches me off guard. No teasing?
Mika nods, and Nolan breaks into a wide grin.
"Perfect!"
…Okay, now I'm officially concerned. He just skipped a golden opportunity to mess with me. What in the world is going on inside that head of his?
*** The bait
More interviews. That's what Nolan's stupidly wide grin was really about. Ugh. I should've known.
I end up spending three full days promoting the new item people are already calling the EXP Idol, making sure to hammer in one key point: the Happy Go-Getters were the first to obtain it.
Don't get me wrong—I understand the strategy. Show off the idol until the Saviors finally bite. Still, it's unbelievably annoying. Makeup, wardrobe changes, speeches, and smiles on repeat. I rub my cheeks, trying to loosen them up. It feels like I'm doing a facial workout—one I absolutely did not sign up for. And that's saying something, coming from a workout addict like me.
At least it works.
The payoff comes when Nolan bursts into our—the Happy Go-Getters'—dressing room.
"The Saviors have taken the bait!" he shouts, practically vibrating with excitement.
"Does that mean I can stop doing interviews?" I ask immediately.
"Don't even think about it," comes the devil's voice. "We've already scheduled two more."
That would be our manager. Not an actual devil—though the distinction is questionable. The NAA assigned her to us, and she's been running things with drill-sergeant precision.
"But we already got what we wanted," I protest.
"We still need to keep up appearances and avoid raising suspicion," Jess points out.
Ugh. I slump back into my chair. Fie gives my shoulder a sympathetic pat.
"Hey, it's not that bad," she says gently.
It is that bad. I barely have time to work out with the schedule our manager's enforcing. I can practically feel my muscles withering away. Worse, my fists are miserable—they haven't hit anything in days.
I shoot Nolan a hard glare. This is your fault. Fix it.
He takes one look at my expression and chooses the safest option: slowly backing out of the room and quietly closing the door behind him, leaving us to prepare for the next interview.
Coward.
After we finally wrap up the interviews—all three of them—Nolan explains the next part of the plan.
"The Saviors want to propose a joint raid on the Bloody Valley," he explains, "hoping to secure an EXP idol for themselves."
Perfect. Then we can fight them once we enter the realm. Finally some action.
"You'll be meeting them at their headquarters," he continues.
Oh? Slipping straight into enemy territory? I'm liking this plan more and more.
"Like discussed, Violet will provide mental magic resistance so none of you fall victim to any charm effects."
Right, I'm the walking charm repellent.
"Once you're inside, Fie, record everything. I want enough data to reconstruct a full 3D model of their base."
Fie gives a quick nod.
"And in the realm, keep an eye on the Saviors, but do not engage unless absolutely necessary," Nolan says.
Do not engage? So, we're just observing? No fighting? Ugh. Boring—but yeah, I get it. Recon first.
*** Victor
The next day, Val, Jess, Fie, and I step into the Saviors' main base—a massive, corporate-looking building, complete with its own free coffee shop. Yeah… Definitely evil vibes.
"Welcome, Happy Go-Getters. I'm so pleased you agreed to join us," a smooth, polished voice calls out from the top of a staircase.
Victor. Making his grand entrance, of course. And naturally, he's decked out in full golden armor. Compensating for something, much?
He descends the stairs to greet us, flanked by his usual entourage—several attractive women in their awakened forms, all wearing flashy, high-end gear.
Pretty dramatic entrance. Wonder how long he'd been standing up there, waiting for his cue.
"You may call me Victor," he says, introducing himself while his gaze drifts—hey, buddy. My eyes are up here.
Ugh. Stay calm, Jax. Remember, we're in recon mode.
"I'm so glad we have the chance to finally meet you all face-to-face like this." He extends a hand.
I take it reluctantly, and the instant our palms meet, a slimy sensation crawls across my skin. Charm magic. That bastard just cast charm magic on me.
But wait… How did he do that? I don't see any curse ring on his hand. Did he cast the spell himself?
That's perfect! We can arrest him for misuse of magic—
…Except there's no way to prove it.
I glance at the rest of my team. None of them react. They didn't even notice the spell. Great. Guess we're sticking to the plan.
"Please, follow me to the lounge. We can discuss things there," Victor says, already turning away.
At least he doesn't seem to realize his magic isn't working on us.
We trail after him into a plush lounge, where food and drinks are laid out neatly on a table.
I scan the spread. Freshly squeezed orange juice. Fancy water. Oh—cupcakes.
Score.
I grab a couple and start stuffing my face, earning a glare from Jess.
What? I like cupcakes. And I'd rather be eating something while my ears are being punished by Victor's nonstop monologue. Seriously, he's been ranting since the moment we arrived. Ugh. This would be a lot more bearable with a beer.
"And you—my lovely ladies—will have the honor of witnessing my greatness as I conquer the orcs—" Victor drones on.
Lovely ladies?
Yeah, forget the beer. I need scotch.
He drones on for a solid half hour. No amount of cupcakes can compensate for that level of torture. Still, it finally ends. People start grabbing their gear and preparing to leave—or at least, I assume they are. I've been zoned out since the first few minutes.
"Hey, Fie?" I mumble, going up on my tiptoes just to reach her ear. "What's going on?"
"Were getting ready to enter the Bloody Valley," she replies, not at all surprised that I wasn't paying attention. Such a good girl.
Everyone forms a circle, hands linked, ready to enter the realm. Right. That's my cue. But first—
I snag some bags of chips from the food spread, earning a raised eyebrow from Jess.
What? We're just observing, and chips are clearly the official snack for missions like this.
Snacks secured, I grab—ugh—Victor's hand and select the Bloody Valley realm.
We materialize in the middle of a sprawling garden of crimson flowers—us and the Saviors together, about a dozen people total. Quite the group jump. I wonder if there's a limit to how many people one person can drag into their realm at once.
"So this is the Bloody Valley?" Victor says. "Such a beautiful setting. Perfect for our first date." He gives me a wink, sending a shiver of goosebumps down my skin.
Ew. Ew ew ew. How does someone deliver lines that cheesy with a perfectly straight face?
Yeah… let's just ignore the walking midlife crisis.
I open a bag of chips and start snacking. Huh. These are actually really good. I should remember this brand.
"Oh! You brought chips?" Val asks, bouncing over.
"Sure did. Want some?"
She nods and scans my selection.
"Really… snacks on a mission? That's not very professional," Jess complains.
"Snacking during a stakeout is professional," Val shoots back.
Glad someone gets it.
Jess gives us her disappointed look, then glances at Victor—still monologuing dramatically to no one in particular—and sighs.
"…What flavor you got?" she asks, reluctantly.
I hand her a bag and pass one to Fie too.
We keep munching until Victor finally asks us for directions to the EXP idol. About damn time—I was starting to think he'd forgotten why we were even here.
Well. That's my cue.
I materialize my wings—earning a collective gasp from the Saviors—and lift off.
I take to the sky in a wide, spiraling sweep, getting a feel for the terrain while casually crunching away at my chips.
I've gotta say… flying and snacking? Weirdly perfect combo. Definitely doing this again.
It doesn't take long to spot our target: an orc fortress. It's a bit of a trek, with a couple of scout units along the way, but nothing we can't handle.
I circle back and give the report.
"I must say, Lady Violet," Victor says, "I never knew you could fly. And with such elegance, no less."
Ugh. I can practically feel the charm magic radiating off him. He must be really eager to add me to his little harem. Gross. How much longer do I have to play nice before I'm allowed to punch this guy?
"I would love to spend more time getting to know such a lovely creature as yourself," he continues.
More goosebumps. I shove a handful of chips into my mouth—not so much to eat as to keep myself from speaking. Because something tells me his ego would not survive the verbal takedown of a drill-sergeant-trained mouth like mine.
"Violet, why don't you scout from the air?" Jess suggests, swooping in to save me.
I glance at her, silently thanking her. She's probably just trying to keep me from blowing the mission, but I'll take the rescue all the same.
For the rest of the operation, I stay airborne, calling out threats from a distance to avoid listening to that playboy. Unfortunately, Victor's voice still reaches me just fine.
"You have such an adorable voice, Violet!" he gushes every time I report in.
Ugh. Why do succubi have to have such absurdly good hearing?
That said… the Saviors are actually strong. They tear through the scout units like they're nothing. Efficient. Clean. But something was off.
I couldn't figure out what it was until they assaulted the orc stronghold.
Victor strides to the front, unleashing massive attacks while his team cheers him on. Waves of sword energy crash into the orcs, cutting them down with frightening force. He seems powerful, but…
The magic signature doesn't line up. It's not coming from him.
Wait.
The energy feels exactly like the women in his entourage. Not just their skills—their mana too. I can sense the links now, thin but unmistakable, tying them directly to him.
So that's it.
He isn't strong. He's siphoning power from his team—borrowing their abilities, draining their reserves. Is that why he's using the charm magic so aggressively? To get more batteries to plug into.
…What an absolute creep.