Astrid stood in awe at what she was witnessing: Close to a hundred individuals were working collectively to rebuild Aarmus Town. Every single one of them knew what to do, like carrying materials, hammering, and cutting logs of wood without uttering a single word to each other.

“Beautiful,” Astrid said as she walked through the construction site, mouth agape. “It’s just as you said. A construction company entirely run by NPCs.”

Tamara let out a sigh of relief by her side. “I’ll have to be honest, I was a little nervous when I hired them, but thank the goddess they’re the real deal, huh?”

“I bet they’re all connected through a Party Chat or something. That’s why they all look so coordinated,” Benjamin chimed in, nodding. “And it also saves them time. NPCs are least likely to get distracted or lose concentration. Truly astounding.”

“All right,” Astrid said as she scanned her surroundings. “Before I go, I’d like to speak to the contractor. Where is he? What’s his name?”

“You’re looking for Bill Warren, ma’am,” Tamara said, looking around, until her eyes set on a man atop an incomplete house, working on its rooftop. Wearing working clothes and a shirt drenched in sweat, he looked fully immersed in his work, driving his hammer up and down with skilled precision. “Hey, Bill!” Tamara called out, and the man with dirty blond hair tied in a ponytail glanced down, showing his overgrown winter-style beard. He jumped down, and seemed to grimace for a second for having been interrupted from his job, but hid it quickly.

“Ms. Tamara,” he said gruffly. His features suggested that he was in his thirties. His physique, unimpressive compared to Benjamin, and his tired eyes hinted that he may have been working for the last three years straight.

“Really good work what you and your company have been doing for the last two days. Really impressive!” Tamara beamed.

“That’s what we’re good at, ma’am,” Bill said, giving a quick glance at Benjamin, and finally setting his eyes on Astrid.

“Oh, right! I’d like to introduce you to my boss, Astrid Bradford. And this is Benjamin Woods. They’re leaders of Shooting Stars and Titan Hunters, respectively.”

“Interesting teamwork you have here, Bill,” Benjamin said, stretching out a hand, but Bill was not looking in his direction. Bill’s eyes were still scrutinizing the blonde Guild Master in front of him, with a blank expression on his face.

“I’m very impressed,” Astrid said, unfazed. “I expect you’ll all finish by the weekend, as promised?”

“Maybe even sooner,” Bill replied, turning around. “Nice meeting you all. Now, if you'll excuse me…” And with those words, he returned to his labor in silence.

“Why am I not surprised?” Benjamin whispered to Tamara in a bitter tone. “The guy is 24/7 surrounded by NPCs. If there’s something he’s lacking, it's social interaction.”

“Why do you say that?” Tamara asked with a puzzled expression. “All I see is a hard-working man who's in love with his job.”

“I think he may fancy something else,” Benjamin muttered, glancing at Astrid, who snickered.

“On the contrary, Ben. I think he hates me.”

“Nothing we can do about it,” Ben said, shrugging, as they turned around and exited the area. As they were about to reach the outskirts, he glimpsed a flying mount soaring in the distance. “Our tour guide is finally here, Astrid… Are you staying then, Tam?” he asked the petite girl, who smiled at him.

“Yes! Until Aarmus returns back to normal. Are you guys going already?”

“That’s right. I don’t think your boss can wait any longer,” Ben said before Astrid bumped her shoulder against him. “See?” he chuckled. “So… See you later?”

“Good luck on your trip!” Tamara smiled and gave him a smooch on the lips.

“Trip? I don’t think that traveling with the Golden Comet can be considered a ‘trip’.”

Waving a final goodbye to Tamara, Benjamin and Astrid walked towards a rider waiting beside a recently rebuilt sign, welcoming every visitor to Aarmus Town. The woman was still sitting atop her Eagle hippogriff, smirking at them.

“Here it is, Astrid,” Ben started saying, “my number one boss slayer, Rita Santoro. She’ll help us--”

“There’s still time to gather a raiding group if you’ve changed your mind,” Rita intoned, locking eyes with Astrid.

She donned the same type of catsuit that Helen and Marissa Laflamme loved to wear. So, a Rogue, huh? Astrid thought, studying the grinning girl with curly black short hair, honey-colored eyes, and black skin.

“We’re good,” Astrid said. “I’d do this solo anyway.”

“Of course you will,” Rita giggled. “Especially now that word of your secret skirmish against Jötnarkungen is all over the Navinet, eh?” the young woman said in a playful tone, making Benjamin nervous about Astrid’s reaction.

“Rita…” he hissed, and she quickly cleared her throat.

“I know, I know. This is a top-secret mission. So secret that you haven’t even told me which raid boss we’ll be farming… Seriously, Ben! I could’ve investigated a bit while on my way here.”

“I haven’t told you yet because I don’t know it yet,” Ben stated, turning to Astrid so she could provide them with the info.

Astrid exhaled first. “Is it true that all the Legendary-grade weapons have already been claimed?”

“All of them,” Rita replied while checking her red-painted nails. “Until the Administrators give us a new area or a dungeon to explore; and that doesn’t guarantee that we’d be able to snatch its treasures first. Anyway, it’s been four months since the last update, so there is also that…”

“I can’t wait.” Astrid ran a hand through her scalp. “We’ll have to go with crafting something new from the ground up, as you suggested, Ben. I have a claymore in my personal Vault, waiting to be sacrificed to get its Unique Skill.”

“Leave it to my weaponsmith.” Ben nodded. “He could do that kind of transferring process with his eyes shut.”

Rita frowned at Astrid, perplexed. “Wait, you have a Legendary claymore already? Why go through the hassle of farming the materials for a new weapon then? Your Battlemage class could benefit immensely from it!”

“Rita,” Ben called out to her in a stern tone again, but Astrid put a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s okay, Ben. I need to come out clean with her before planning our little trip...” Astrid then locked eyes with Rita and formed a mild smile. “I can’t use a claymore because my class is incompatible with it. In reality, I’m an Elemental Mage. A pure pyromancer.”

Rita snickered, turning to Ben to catch a hint if this was all a joke, but after a long few seconds of silence, she shook her head. “W-Wait, let me get this straight… Are you implying you want to craft a STAFF? Like, seriously?! Y-You know you’re FAMOUS for your PUNCHES, right?!”

Astrid smiled innocently. “That’s why we’ll forge the sturdiest staff to ever exist. A staff that I can’t ‘accidentally’... break…”

Rita reflected on it for a moment. “Like a mace, dash, staff?”

“N-No…”

“Wait,” Ben added. “Giving a strong shape to the staff with the help of the Novus’ resilient material would work wonders for you, Comet.”

“True… But not a mace, please… NOR a hammer!”

 

***

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Dan: [Nonsensical destruction, chaos, and the constant threat of war like never seen before. This is what these so-called terrorists—this unknown organization—have been inflicting upon our cities, our hometowns, and our safe places for the last six months. Is the Novus Society crumbling from its very foundation, or is this just another problem that we can solve with sheer violence? To discuss this and much more, we have four very special guests. First up, Erwin Braun… Please introduce yourself, good sir.]

Erwin: [Thanks for having me, Dan. I’m Erwin Braun, Leader of the Power Riders guild. Delighted to be here.]

Dan [Next, we have Javier Torres.]

Javier: [Good evening, everyone. My name is Javier Torres, Moderator of the Church of Conduct. And I’m here tonight in representation of the Ruler Administrator of Conduct, Jane Anderson herself.]

Dan: [And last but certainly not least, tonight, we're honored to have two of the biggest performers in all of Novus with us! Please welcome Lady Unicorn and the idol that has been rising to the top of the charts, Stella!]

Stella: [Hiii! Thank you for the invitation!]

Lady U: [Hey, Dan, if you had presented us as ‘the biggest performers after Miss Cosmica,’ I’d have kicked your face, right here, right now.]

Dan: [That’s why I was careful with the introduction! *chuckles* Lady Unicorn, before starting the show, you were telling us that you’re here in representation of your fans.]

Lady U: [Not only my fans, Dan, but all the people that are not a guilder, less so a Moderator. Those that have to live in constant fear of their homes getting destroyed at any moment.]

Dan: [That’s what we’ll talk about tonight, but before we start, hit that subscribe button, give love to that ‘like,’ and help us by promoting this channel! So, let’s begin with this news… Aarmus, a Level-Two town in the Lanmark region was obliterated two days ago! Wow. They’re now even targeting small towns…]

Erwin: [That’s right, Dan. And time and time again, the Administrators have proven to be ineffective to take action or even address the issue. Safe Zones are now considered a joke.]

Javier: [I totally get your frustration, and the uncertainty around the community. However, I’m here to clarify that our Safe Zones are operating as intended. The possibility exists that these terrorists possess a Unique Talent that allows them to circumvent our security measures, and we're actively investigating it.]

Erwin: [So are you telling me that after six months, you haven’t made any progress on fixing the issue?]

Javier: [As I said… The Church of Conduct is working on it.]

Dan: [Javier, you mentioned that the terrorists may be using their Unique Talent to bypass the Safe Zones restrictions. What’s the theory behind that? Is it something you can share?]

Javier: [Yes, of course. It’s important that the community knows about it and be prepared. The current theory is that they may be using a skill that locks their stats for a certain amount of time, let’s say, a couple of hours. This would allow them to enter these Safe Zones at their maximum capabilities…]

Lady U: [Wouldn’t the Safe Zone nullify that ‘lock’?]

Javier: [As I mentioned, it’s the current theory. We’re doing our best to address the problem. The thing about Unique Talents is that they’re quite diverse. There are thousands that have never been categorized, and not all specialized in combat. There are hundreds known to act as a support for others.]

Erwin: [And then there’s the rumor about the ‘special ones’... So I may entertain your theory.]

Stella: [What was that, Mr. Erwin? Could you elaborate?]

Erwin: [Haven’t heard about it? There’s this rumor about broken, special Unique Talents, that are supposedly quite insane… Skills that surpass the limits of what we can do inside The Novus. The rumor resurfaced again thanks to this--what’s her name--Úna Callaghan, this streamer that appeared out of nowhere and has reached the top ranking charts in the Individual Power category in such a short amount of time.]

Stella: [Ah, yes! The gal that killed Jötnarkungen with one punch! That was quite a spectacle! But she alleges that the Golden Comet could do the same. Why is Úna rumored to have a broken UT and not Astrid Bradford?]

Dan: [I can answer that… During her livestream, Úna mentioned ‘Leo,’ and time and time again, incredible displays of powers have been associated with one of the zodiac symbols. For instance, the few well-known people rumored to have one of these special UTs are all in the Top Ranking guilds… These include Denis Volkov from the Defenders of Insanity guild, supposedly possessing Capricorn; Rajat Jair, the current Leader of The Guardians of Dawn, the number one guild, known for having Aquarius; and the famous Carlos Fuente, rumored to possess Sagittarius.]

Stella: [Carlos Fuente? Seriously?]

Lady U: [That’d explain a lot of things…]

Stella: [Is that why Carlos’ clothing brand always depicts a centaur wielding a bow?]

Dan: [Let’s just reiterate that this is all a rumor. This could all be just a case of apophenia. This occurs when people try to give meaning to a series of connections or patterns that are nothing more than coincidences.]

Stella: [Oh, let’s not think that way! The idea of special skills that could change the world is fascinating!]

Erwin: [Returning to our previous subject, the Administrators, especially Jane Andersen, are allowing this to happen.]

Javier: [Let’s remember that Jane, through a formal announcement, said…]

Erwin: [That she wouldn’t pursue quarrels between Users anymore. But I don’t think this can be categorized as such! This is a full-on war against the peace that the citizens of Novus have been building for the last three years! Or are you telling me that since your boss’ announcement, you lost your job? So what is that white cape you’re wearing for then?]

Javier: [I understand your impatience. Truly. Our top priority is the safety of our community, and we're working tirelessly to ensure that.]

Lady U: [You’ve been blaming the Church of Conduct for a while, Erwin, but I don’t see guilders like yours doing better. ‘Cause I can't help but wonder! Why top-ranking guilds such as yours, which are as strong as the Moderators, don’t help fight these terrorists?]

Erwin: [Excuse me? What do you think we all have been doing for the last six months?]

Lady U: [Defending Barcenova?]

Erwin: [That’s correct! Power Riders has even stopped attending tournaments so we can always be--]

Lady U: [And that’s why I can’t stand your hypocrisy! Guilds like yours only care about their hometowns, and the rest can crumble for all they care!]

Erwin: [That’s not fair at all! There are hundreds of Safe Zones scattered all over the world. Even if all the top guilds cooperated in conjunction, we couldn’t possibly protect them all simultaneously!]

Lady U: [There! Now you’re seeing from Javier’s point of view! You're welcome, J.!]

Stella: [*giggles* Oh, my! I didn’t think that this conversation would get this fun!]

Dan: [What’s your perspective on this, Stella? Who do you think is in the right here?]

Stella: [Well, if you really want to hear what I have to say, then I’ll be honest and say that neither of you! Tee-hee. As a matter of fact, I think I kind of get why these terrorists do what they do...]

Erwin: [Yeah? Could you share it with us?]

Stella: [Tell me if I’m wrong, but I’ve never seen the Novus community being so… strong-willed! I truly believe by the end of this conflict, the Novus’ population will be more resilient than ever before!]

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With a loud sigh, Amelia Laflamme closed the video window and stood up from her seat, visibly annoyed. "Just what we needed, another loony idol… Thanks a lot for ruining idols forever for me, Golden Bitch."

The redhead gazed out of her establishment's window, taking in the view of the city of Waterlord. The entire building was engulfed in silence, except for the persistent sound of her foot tapping against the floor. It had been three days since all the members of Phantom Seekers had departed. Even Sloochie is now part of the raid group...

She bit her lower lip while rereading Alan's last message for the third time. ‘We're on our way back home,’ it said.

Yeah, sure, but that had been an hour ago! She had even had time to shower and change. Should she use that extra time to order something? Nah, bad idea, especially after what happened last time. The group had become so diverse now that they all had different tastes. And although she knew everyone's favorite dish, she would rather avoid another argument with Clara.

That… gal…

Even before Shooting Stars gained notoriety, Clara had already taken control of every single aspect of management.

Sure, go ahead, leave me aside! I'm totally fine with that!

Now, Amelia's only occupation was continuing to sell her low-tier jewelry and the more in-demand Phantom Seekers merchandise. Even Alan's many failed and experimental weapons and artifacts sold decently well. The only thing Amelia had to do all day was to check the online orders and deliver the goods.

"Fan-freaking-tastic…" she sighed.

But what could she do? Unless another catastrophe like the attack on Unus Town—or even the Count Dylak incident—took place, she was destined to remain in the guild's shadow. Even among the Phantom Seekers fans, very few knew who Amelia was! And speaking of the Dylak incident… That damn Countess is now considered the guild's number one 'waifu'! Very bold coming from the NU that literally modeled her body after me…

She exhaled and opened her favorite restaurant's Navinet site, tapping on the menu.

Screw it… I'll order pizza again. And if Clara has the audacity to complain, I'll freaking—

Her thoughts trailed off at the sight of Flying Mounts landing in front of the house. Her heart skipped a beat, and she involuntarily ran strands of hair behind her right ear. However, as soon as she noticed that they were not the people she was waiting for, but in fact, unwanted guests, she grimaced.

"Oh, this is going to be a long, damn night…" Amelia muttered to herself as she opened the door, leaned on the doorframe, and glared at the young woman approaching her. "It's you…"

"Hi, Sis…" Marissa Laflamme waved hello at her big sister, wearing a shy smile. "L-Long time no see, huh?"

Amelia ignored her and glanced at the other two dismounting and saving their Mounts inside their inventory. At first, she thought that William The Stoic--the hulky cretin--had come back to invade her personal space, but this other muscular young man could barely maintain eye contact with her.

"Oscar, what a nice surprise!" Amelia feigned a friendly smile. "What has brought you here, friend?"

"Amelia." He nodded at her. "Good to see you. Is Alan home?"

"Why? Are you here to kidnap him again?" Amelia giggled. "Just kidding! And who may this be?" She locked eyes with the other girl, who seemed to glare back at her. The girl had her hair tied in a ponytail, and her multiple freckles diverted one's attention from her green eyes. Amelia knew who she was. The girl was a constant presence during Shooting Stars' live streams. Their rising star, huh?

"I'm Brenda Hannes. Nice to meet you, Amelia Laflamme."

She's acting nice and all, but her eyes tell another story.

"Sure… Listen, Alan is not here," Amelia said to Oscar before turning around. "If you have business with him, you're free to wait… here outside."

With those words, she passed by her little sister and entered the house, slamming the door.

"Well, that happened," Brenda said aloud, snickering.

"Should I… Should I have started with a bit more small talk first?" Oscar asked Marissa in a hushed voice, to which she sighed.

"It wasn't your fault… It's mine…"