Chapter 210: Elisebeth Hera
The moment Martin and Rias returned to the Forest Hidden Monster Hunter Academy, déjà vu hit him like a bolt from the heavens.
The academy grounds still looked as he remembered them. Towering trees enclosed the clearing, their dense crowns blocking most of the sunlight, while wooden platforms and rope bridges stretched between the enormous trunks. Players wandered through the area in small groups, carrying repaired equipment, comparing loot, or arguing over where to go next.
Martin barely noticed any of them because a gorgeous woman had already spotted him from across the clearing.
Her features brightened the moment their eyes met. She raised one hand high above her head and waved before hurrying toward him, drawing a few curious glances from players. Her midnight-violet hair flowed over her shoulders.
Martin could only stare.
She was so damn beautiful that he felt he could spend months looking at her without getting bored.
Her nickname floated above her head.
[NukEncore Lv. 60]
The nickname was unnecessary. Martin’s gaze dropped for a second, and that alone confirmed her identity. The heavy bounce of her ample tits with every hurried step could only belong to one woman.
Players might be able to change their faces and hairstyles, but their real bodies remained fixed. NukEncore’s chest had an unmistakable presence of its own, and among all his female friends, she was unquestionably the heaviest in that department.
She could have chosen the plainest face available, worn the simplest hairstyle, and hidden the rest of her body beneath a sack. Those tits alone would still make her one of the most beautiful women in the world.
Of course, Martin would never say that aloud, especially not to NukEncore herself. That was simply how a guy’s mind worked.
Even so, the woman approaching him looked completely different from the Encore he knew. Her usual appearance had carried a soft, approachable charm that made her seem like the kind of cute girl who could join any party without making everyone around her nervous.
This version of her was far more dangerous. Her features looked sharper and more refined, while the confidence in her smile demanded attention effortlessly. Even her midnight-violet hair fell perfectly around her shoulders, framing her in a way that made her seem less like an ordinary player and more like the goddess of their entire party.
She could probably enter a crowded room and decide that every pair of eyes belonged to her.
"Encore! Damn, what did you do to your avatar?" Martin called as she drew closer. "You always had that cute, approachable vibe, but now you’ve taken it way too far! Haha! Do you want me to fend off monsters or all the guys trying to get your attention?"
Several players glanced toward them, and NukEncore briefly lost her stride.
A hint of nerves returned. There were several problems with what Martin had just said, and none of them helped with the confession she had prepared while waiting for him. Still, his grin had not changed, and he spoke to her exactly as he always did.
There was no hesitation, no awkwardness, and no distance between them. He still saw Encore, the friend who had traveled, fought, and joked beside him.
Some of the tension left her shoulders.
She slowed to a walk and stopped in front of him. Then she clasped her hands behind her back, leaned forward, and looked up at Martin with a sweet smile.
The movement pressed her chest together slightly and created such a dangerous angle that Martin nearly forgot she had probably come over to tell him something.
He had endured monster charges, magical attacks, and combat combinations designed to break through his defenses, but that simple pose struck harder than most of them.
"Why not both?" she asked softly.
Her warm, sweet voice completed the attack, tugging at Martin’s heart before his mind could raise any defenses. She wanted him to protect her from monsters and men alike. It was probably meant as a joke, but those words could be misunderstood in too many ways.
Heat crept into Martin’s ears, and NukEncore noticed immediately.
For one triumphant second, her confidence surged. Then she remembered why she had approached him, and the playful spark in her eyes gave way to uncertainty.
Elisebeth had performed in packed arenas, appeared on live broadcasts, and survived interviews where a single careless sentence could spread across the world before she even left the building. Somehow, none of those experiences had felt as difficult as this conversation.
From the beginning, she had hidden behind NukEncore. Her name, career, and famous appearance had remained outside the game, allowing her to exist here as an ordinary girl. Martin spoke to her without measuring every word, worrying about her status, or wondering what he could gain from being close to her.
She did not want that to change, but continuing to hide the truth felt worse.
As Martin’s ears grew redder, Elisebeth decided that waiting would only make the confession harder. She straightened, took a steady breath, and met his eyes.
"I’m sorry I’ve been hiding my name and identity from you all this time, Martin," NukEncore said, her playful tone turning serious. "My real name is Elisebeth Hera."
Martin blinked once before smiling.
"I’m Martin Ross, but you already know that." He held out his hand. "Still, it’s nice to meet you."
Silence settled between them.
Elisebeth stared at his hand, and Rias, who had returned with Martin and stood close enough to witness the entire exchange, looked at it too. Neither woman moved, yet Martin patiently kept it extended without understanding why a simple introduction had broken both of them.
Elisebeth had imagined several possible reactions. He might be shocked, excited, or uncomfortable. Perhaps he would bombard her with questions about her songs, concerts, or private life.
She had spent so much time worrying that Martin would step back and begin treating her like a celebrity instead of a friend that a painfully ordinary handshake had never crossed her mind.
The gesture confused the hell out of her.
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