Chapter 209: Goddess
With Shuri safely home, Martin could finally turn his attention back to his own academy. The Forest Hidden Monster Hunter Academy’s development quest was still counting down, and Night Espresso had to push its exploration of the Level 60 Hidden Dungeon from ten percent to one hundred before the fourteen-day limit expired.
Martin looked back at Plume. "How much of the academy’s waters have you cleared so far?"
For the first time since the battle ended, some of the captain’s cheer faded.
"The seas are damn vast, bro! We ain’t even cleared forty percent yet!"
Martin stared out across the seemingly endless stretch of dark water. The Storm Guild had ships, scouts, experienced high-level players, and far more knowledge of this environment than Night Espresso. They were organized enough to establish hunting routes and regularly farm monsters as powerful as the Sea Dragon, yet they had explored less than forty percent of their academy’s waters.
Night Espresso, meanwhile, had fourteen days to uncover the remaining ninety percent of its highest-level Hidden Dungeon.
The quest had sounded difficult when they first received it, but seeing how slowly even the Storm Guild progressed through high-level territory made the deadline seem ridiculous. His guild might truly have been assigned an impossible mission.
—
The waterborne stretch of their return trip gave Ao Tenshin the perfect chance to show off her speed. As soon as they left the Storm Guild behind, she surged forward with Martin and Rias riding on her shell. The currents curled around her instead of pushing against her, and every powerful stroke carried them across the water faster than any ship could have managed.
Martin had just settled into the rhythm of the ride when a message appeared in front of him.
[NukEncore: Martin, let’s meet up and play together!]
He smiled. Her excitement came through clearly, even in such a short message.
[Emperoar: Haha, sure! You sound way too excited!]
Her reply arrived almost immediately.
[NukEncore: Because I am! Tell Angel to swim faster!]
Martin glanced down at Ao Tenshin’s enormous shell.
"She says you need to swim faster."
Ao Tenshin released a deep, eager rumble and accelerated so suddenly that Martin had to brace one hand against a crystal ridge. Rias caught his shoulder before the next burst of speed could throw either of them backward.
"You shouldn’t have told her," Rias said.
Martin laughed as the Dragon Turtle raced across the water.
Back at the Forest Hidden Monster Hunter Academy, the reason for NukEncore’s excitement was already drawing plenty of attention.
A woman strode through the academy grounds with enough confidence to make nearby conversations falter. Male and female players alike turned to watch her pass, their attention first caught by her beautiful face before inevitably drifting lower.
A tight purple top hugged her voluptuous figure, its daring cutout exposing a deep valley of cleavage between her enormous breasts. The fitted fabric emphasized their weight and softness with every step, while a dark corset cinched her waist and made the curves of her hips appear even fuller. Glossy black bottoms clung tightly to her lower body, leaving little of her generous figure to the imagination.
Flames curled around her hands and followed her movements in bright orange ribbons, but even those burning arcs struggled to steal attention from the woman controlling them.
Long, midnight-violet hair flowed down her back and framed a pair of confident eyes. A faint, knowing smile rested on her lips, carrying the quiet amusement of a woman who understood exactly how much attention she was receiving and enjoyed every second of it.
Her name was NukEncore, a Level 60 Fire Mage, though neither her class nor her level explained why so many players had stopped to stare.
For the first time, NukEncore wore Elisebeth’s real face inside the game, yet nobody who saw her would have recognized her at a glance.
Players familiar with NukEncore knew a timid mage who whispered, hid beneath plain features, and shrank whenever too many eyes turned her way. People who knew Elisebeth’s public image would have struggled just as much. Her usual diva presence was cool, polished, and distant, while the woman walking through the academy now felt warmer, sharper, and openly provocative.
The midnight-violet hair, fire-mage clothes, confident eyes, and playful smile transformed the entire impression of her real face. Even her presence had changed. Instead of holding herself above everyone from a safe distance, she carried her confidence like a challenge aimed at anyone bold enough to approach.
Wealth, status, experience, and beauty had taught Elisebeth how to command any room she entered, but they had also taught her when that attention would become troublesome. Today, she had no intention of restraining any part of herself.
She walked through the academy with the presence of a diva stepping onto a stage that already belonged to her. Her posture remained flawless, her steps calm and unhurried, and every subtle sway of her body showed that she had come prepared to compete.
This was her entrance into the love war, and she intended to make Martin remember it.
Behind her composed smile, however, a far more coquettish side of her was growing restless. She kept imagining how long she could stand in front of Martin before he realized who she was, or whether she would have to reveal herself first.
Would her real identity and status make him nervous?
More importantly, would his eyes fall toward her chest before he managed to stop himself?
That last possibility pleased her far more than she wanted to admit.
Two nearby players watched her walk past.
"Who the hell was that?"
"Did an NPC goddess descend or something?"
"I don’t know, man. I couldn’t even move while I watched her walk away."
Elisebeth heard every word. She continued forward without glancing back, but her chin lifted slightly as the praise fed her already considerable ego.
Martin had better hurry. She had not revealed her real face and unleashed her full presence just to spend the entire day waiting for him.
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