Chapter 26: Meeting At The Light Tree

Martin scheduled the party dungeon run exactly the way Kill Clause wanted.

Kill Clause wanted it fast. Martin wanted it now. Chaosgraphy and NukEncore didn’t mind either.

At the Light Tree Hub, everyone was already there. No one had to wait.

"Hi, everyone. Alright, let’s have fun today," Martin said.

Martin opened the party interface and sent the invites.

[Party Created: Night Espresso Run]

[Chaosgraphy joined your party.]

[NukEncore joined your party.]

[Kill Clause joined your party.]

The three women sized one another up and gave quick nods. Chaosgraphy was the first to start a casual conversation, but it was only casual on the surface.

But her gaze was still probing.

"I see you’ve joined Night Espresso, Cassandra’s guild. She’s the most famous businesswoman for a reason." Chaosgraphy’s smile sharpened. "Careful. Contracts are her love language."

Martin chuckled. "Thanks. It’s not like I’ve signed anything yet. She did something crazy, though."

"Okaaay." NukEncore leaned in, eyes bright. "Spill."

Kill Clause only raised an eyebrow, then looked away.

Arms crossed, Chaosgraphy held her ground, striking a pose that fit her villain persona.

Martin explained, "She found out my real name somehow, and where I work. I thought I was hallucinating. Then my boss gave me a paid vacation. Haha!"

"You know you can sue her for that?" Chaosgraphy said, lips curving into a wide smile.

Does she want me to suffer, or Cassandra? Maybe both. Girl, I can’t afford a court battle with Cassandra.

Martin shook his head. "It’s fine. Paid vacation and a guild where I can earn real money this early in the game? She can probe into my life as much as she wants!"

Kill Clause let out a small breath, then straightened like she’d approved a report.

NukEncore laughed, her voice hot and excited. "Martin, you’re so easy."

Silence hit like a snap.

Martin froze. His stomach dipped, and heat shot straight lower, fast enough to make him grit his teeth.

How does she know my real name? And why did she sound so fucking hot just now?

"Do we have a weirdo in our group?" Chaosgraphy asked.

NukEncore beamed. "Mhm. I learned Martin’s name from Rangar."

"Oh, he’s ’Rangar’ to you now?" Martin sighed in relief and glanced at his mage teammate.

NukEncore nodded proudly. "He’s helping me chase my dream of becoming a fire mage. He gave me a skill!"

"Huh?" Martin and the others stared at NukEncore.

For once, she didn’t shrink under the spotlight.

Instead, she guided their attention to her hands.

A spark erupted above her palm and swelled into a fireball.

Ao Tenshin jolted in place, then peeked out from her shell with wide eyes. A second later, she trilled and shuffled closer to Martin, like she wanted to hide behind him too.

"Ta-da." NukEncore lifted her chin like she’d just stepped on stage. "I haven’t even fought monsters yet, but I can summon flames now. Try not to swoon."

Nearby heads swiveled.

NukEncore noticed, then instantly switched gears. "Okay, okay. No autographs."

She tugged her hood up and hid her face from the crowd. Since she was smaller, she slipped behind Martin and pressed close like it was her spot.

She must be really happy. I’ve never seen her this playful after being so insecure about her voice.

Chaosgraphy clicked her tongue. "Accuracy is still going to be tragic."

NukEncore waved a finger at her, smirking. "Please. My burn will out-damage your little paper cuts, and I’ll come out on top."

Kill Clause lifted her chin, clearly taking that as a challenge. "Competing, then. Fine."

The playful edge faded.

Her gaze cut across the group. "Damage Dealt is first. Pick two more that matter."

Martin had told her he wanted to top at least three categories. Damage Dealt was the obvious one.

He nodded. "No healer means I could farm Damage Taken, but we’re not chasing that."

"Accumulated Critical Damage and Accumulated Weak Point Hits," he continued. "Those fit everyone."

It was best for NukEncore and Kill Clause not to soak hits and force themselves to exploit Level Up Trick. They should stay on the back line and pour out damage.

Given Chaosgraphy’s items and skills, she could heal herself more easily, but that still didn’t mean they should chase Damage Taken.

He’d read up on it.

"If you hit a monster while it’s under my taunt, it counts as a Weak Point Hit," he said. "Clause’s Crippling Arrows expose weak points, too."

He glanced at Chaosgraphy. "Chaos’s deep cuts cause bleeding and expose another weak point. NukEncore’s burn should expose weak points as well."

"Chaos?" Chaosgraphy asked, a soft smile forming.

Martin returned it. "Yeah. It’s easier to say, and it rolls off the tongue."

"I don’t mind the nickname," Chaosgraphy said.

Kill Clause looked satisfied. "Crits and weak points. More consistent. Better results."

Martin looked at all three of them. "So those are the three categories we’ll aim to top. Everyone good?"

All three women gave quick nods.

Martin smiled. "There’s also a category for the fastest finish. No one’s ever finished the dungeon, so there has to be a boss or some point where it ends."

He lifted his chin toward the Light Tree. "Let’s look for the finish. If we don’t find it, we’ll still run into unique bosses like the Baby Kraken."

Kill Clause’s eyes narrowed with approval. "The real prize is finding the finish."

"I’m excited! Let’s go in already!" NukEncore took off toward the Light Tree.

Martin ran after her. "Hey, we still need to decide what we’re doing first once we’re inside. Exploration, or chasing the three categories!"

As the two of them ran ahead, Chaosgraphy turned to Kill Clause.

She stared straight into her eyes. "How many characters do you have?"

"Three," Kill Clause replied with a knowing smile.

Chaosgraphy’s mouth twitched, like she’d just gotten the number she wanted.

"You have a good eye," Kill Clause added. "You remind me of a certain actress."

With a quiet harrumph, Chaosgraphy turned on her heel, following after Martin and NukEncore.