Jacky strode slowly toward the Headmaster’s Office as his request for a private meeting with the headmaster having been approved. Walking alongside him was another player, his acolyte robe’s hood pulled up and his posture slightly tense, as if he were about to face a tribunal.

  “So, can you remind me again why you're trying to hide your face with the hood? It’s not going to help at all, Kuro,” Jacky commented. Before a powerful Magus, any tricks they tried to cover their faces wouldn’t be effective at all.

  “Quiet. I’m just a little nervous, okay?” KuroUsagi muttered in rebuttal.

  “Whatever.”

  Not minding his new friend’s antics, Jacky stepped up to the double doors and knocked. Before long, a voice came from inside.

  “Come in.”

  The doors creaked open on their own, revealing the room beyond. Jacky let out a long breath and clenched his fists as he entered at an unhurried pace.

  Seated at the desk was Astralium, the headmaster — or, as Jacky knew, the game’s promotional manager. He had his fingers steepled beneath his chin, his eyes sharp and unblinking as they stared at the two of them. An invisible pressure seemed to fall over them the moment they stepped inside.

  Has the headmaster gotten stronger again? Jacky thought in realization.

  Everything in this game world followed the laws of physics from the real world. He had noticed that even the NPCs couldn’t suddenly grow stronger through outside interference; they had to progress step by step, just like the players. And that only reinforced what he had believed, which was that this wasn’t just a game, and it all had been a fa?ade.

  “Headmaster,” Thunder greeted, inclining his head. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

  In response, the headmaster smiled faintly and said, “I don’t recall saying I was in a rush.”

  Behind Thunder, KuroUsagi stepped forward, still hiding his face beneath the hood.

  “You’ve brought a guest, I see.”

  The hooded figure remained silent, but Jacky stepped aside and gestured toward him. “He asked to remain anonymous, but I assume you already know who it is.”

  “I do,” the headmaster said smoothly, eyes narrowing just slightly. “Hello, KuroUsagi.”

  KuroUsagi flinched subtly. “It seems the cat’s out of the bag.” Then, he pulled down the hood, revealing his face.

  Of course, Victor knew exactly who was with Thunder. Not only did the Shadowlink Mark give away his identity, but no being below the Nexus Temporal rank could hide their face from him. Besides, a bit of logic was all it took to deduce that it was KuroUsagi.

  “So,” Victor continued, “the elusive critic finally steps out from behind the curtain. I was wondering when you’d stop lurking.”

  “You know… me?” KuroUsagi raised his eyes in surprise, as if Victor’s words confirmed everything he had suspected.

  At this point, there was no reason for Victor to keep the truth from these two any longer because he would soon need their help.

  KuroUsagi walked closer and pointed at Victor. “This isn’t just a game to you… It never was.”

  Victor’s smile didn’t fade as he glanced toward Thunder, noting how calm and nonchalant the man appeared. “Very good. Took you long enough to see it. I assume Thunder has already told you about our ‘deal.’”

  “That’s right. But more than that…” Sean’s fists clenched at his sides. “You’ve been manipulating everyone. All of us. From the very beginning. Just like a puppeteer manipulating puppets… We’ve been dancing in the palm of your hand.”

  Thunder stiffened slightly at that, but Victor only gestured toward the sofa at the corner.

  “How interesting. Tell me everything that you know about this game, then,” Victor said, wanting to hear what KuroUsagi had discovered so far.

  “Game? That’s just a fa?ade you used to trick us. This isn’t a game…” KuroUsagi paused for a few seconds, clenching his fists before continuing, “This is all real. Not some kind of high-tech immersive VR that you sold us, or a simulated reality. Magus Academy Online is a true world, just like Earth. All the NPCs are real people… not some bullshit AIs like you claimed. Everything here is real in the truest sense, not just a bunch of ones and zeroes.”

  “You may think I’m crazy, but I have proof. Lots of proof,” he added. “Thunder’s case aside, I’ve discovered that several players who inherited Magus’ inheritances, like I did, experience the memories so vividly, even back on Earth. That means the memories aren’t just neural feedback. They persist. They’re shaping how people think and act in the real world. Not only that, but I also know that you’ve been making the ‘game’ updates based on this world’s events, not because of some content that you and your ‘team’ allegedly created. That was all a sham. And should I even tell you that your company’s name is World Gate Soft Co.?”

  He narrowed his eyes at Victor.

  “But most importantly, I found out that… I can accumulate mana and elemental particles back on Earth. That’s my biggest proof.”

  KuroUsagi breathed in, visibly more composed now that he had laid everything out on the table.

  Huh, so you can actually become a mage even on Earth… That’s news to me, Victor thought in surprise. It was no wonder that he and his friends had been mostly absent this past month or so. They were likely researching a way to become mages over there.

  “Smart,” Victor praised, clapping his hands. “Despite coming to that conclusion, you didn’t disclose this to the public or try to take down the game. So, my question is… what do you want now that you know?”

  KuroUsagi hesitated at his words. The room went still for a few moments as the weight of the situation settled on his shoulders.

  Then he exhaled. “I want to talk and make a deal.”

  Victor’s grin sharpened, and he leaned forward. “What kind of deal?”

  “I’m guessing the reason you orchestrated this whole charade and created the front of a game is because you’re trying to accomplish something,” KuroUsagi began. “My biggest assumption is that you want to build this Magus academy and use us — the players — as your subordinates and free labor. But if that was all you wanted, you could have uploaded our minds permanently into this world, forcing us to work for you for the rest of our lives. That would’ve also removed the risk of the truth being exposed, since it wouldn’t matter anymore.”

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  What KuroUsagi said was perfectly logical and pragmatic. If Victor’s true intention was indeed to use the players as his slav— underlings, then it would’ve been more efficient to cut off any chance of escape. That way, they would have no choice but to obey his commands, eliminating the need for such an elaborate scheme. By that logic, much of what Victor had done seemed unnecessary.

  Moreover, as a powerful Magus, ordinary mortals were beneath him. Whether or not they consented shouldn’t have mattered. However, Victor’s goal wasn’t as simple as that.

  “Good guess.” Victor nodded. “Continue.”

  “I’m just saying… Earth must be important to you somehow. But what I’m not sure is that…” He trailed off. “Sir Astralium… Are you someone from Earth, or did you originate from Seraphia?”

  That was a good question.

  Even Victor himself wasn’t entirely sure of the exact answer. Obviously, he was from Earth, but to him, it felt like a distant past. His life in Seraphia had long since overwritten those memories of living in the modern world.

  After thinking for a while, Victor replied, “I can’t answer that. However, I can assure you that I have no ill intentions toward Earth or the eight billion humans living there. In fact, you could say I’m giving you all an opportunity to become stronger.”

  Victor was telling the truth. Although his method was only a drop in the bucket, if something ever happened to Earth, at least the two thousand or so current players would have the option to escape to Seraphia and live here permanently.

  “Ha. I thought so.”

  “Exactly, that’s what I told you too,” Thunder added. “He’s my savior for giving me a second chance at life. For that, I’ve been working for him as repayment.”

  KuroUsagi bobbed his head up and down, digesting the information before saying, “Thunder is your agent here. But since he’s permanently uploaded his mind to his avatar, he can’t return to Earth. As such, you’ll need someone else to act as your agent on Earth. Am I correct?”

  Victor nodded in confirmation.

  “Then make me your agent. In return, I want access to knowledge, to authority, and most importantly, to the truth.”

  Victor raised an eyebrow. “You’re very ambitious.”

  “I don’t want to play pretend anymore,” KuroUsagi said firmly. “I’ve seen through the curtain. If this world is real, then I want to understand it in full. I want to be more than just a player wandering blindly. You said you’re giving us a chance to grow stronger, then give me the means to do so.”

  Thunder crossed his arms and glanced at Victor. “He’s sharp. You might need someone like him on Earth when things start to change.”

  Victor leaned back in his chair, already making a decision. “Very well. If you accept this role, it won’t be without risks. There are organizations in both worlds, especially Earth, that won’t take kindly to someone walking between the lines. But… if you succeed, you’ll gain more than what any modern world could ever offer.”

  KuroUsagi met his gaze without flinching. “I understand. I’m not afraid.”

  Victor smirked. “Good. Then consider it done. I’ll mark you as an authorized dual-world agent. From now on, you’ll have access to a separate channel through the Shadowlink Mark just like Thunder. Use it wisely. Misuse it… and I’ll know.”

  “Understood,” KuroUsagi said with a nod, bowing slightly as the weight of his new responsibility settled over him.

  The deal was struck, and they all understood that the next stage was about to begin.

  “Oh, right, one more thing,” Victor added. “Since you now know this game world is real, you must be careful about the conditions tied to your Magus inheritance, and you should spend more time here to get stronger. If you fail to complete what you promised…” He paused, then smiled faintly. “You will lose your life in both worlds…”

  “Seriously?!” KuroUsagi gaped.

  When the two of them left Victor’s office, Lizbeth showed herself and perched on Victor’s shoulder.

  “Master, is it really the right decision to trust KuroUsagi? What if he betrays you or reveals the truth to the world after getting information out of you?” Lizbeth asked, concerned.

  “It’s very unlikely. If he intended to do that, he would’ve done it the moment he discovered the truth,” Victor explained calmly. “And even if he does somehow betray me… I can take everything he accomplishes.”

  As a peak Elemental Adept Magus, Victor had many ways to ensure control. For example, he could cast a curse on KuroUsagi’s in-game body — and when he logged back in, the curse would transfer to his real body on Earth. Even if KuroUsagi chose not to log in again, the Nexus Tower was connected to the gaming capsule. As long as he was within the vicinity of the device, Victor could still cast the curse spell.

  And if everything else failed, Victor still had one more trump card. The Dreamscape could connect to Earth — even if it couldn’t be used as a direct passage — and through Lillie’s help, he could cast a dreamforce spell to target KuroUsagi’s soul. Of course, this would require further research, but it wasn’t impossible in the near future.

  Besides, Victor had actually received a new side mission related to this matter when KuroUsagi and Thunder were on their way to his office.

  Mission: Create a Secret Force on Earth

  You have learned from the former headmaster that someone from Earth must gain control over the governing powers there and secure the resources necessary to construct a nexus gate. Your first step is to use the players to create a secret force on Earth.

  Type: Side mission

  Reward: 7,500 academy points

  All things considered, Victor hoped that his decision wouldn’t come back to bite him, and that he wouldn’t have to resort to extreme measures. After all, the Sanctum of Interdimensional Magi was going to get very busy in the days ahead, and it would demand his full attention.

  As he looked out the window, Victor felt hopeful for the future.

  Far away from the victory celebration in Thornwood Forest, deep within a vast, dark stronghold buried beneath the Blackreach Mountains at the northern border of the Luminos Kingdom that directly faced the Demornial Kingdom, the atmosphere was thick with dread.

  Crack.

  A gilded goblet shattered against the blackstone wall, and wine-like ichor dripped slowly down its jagged surface.

  “Fools. Incompetent, shortsighted FOOLS!”

  Tenebrael’s voice echoed with venomous ire. His cultist robe rustled as he paced before the obsidian altar, his aura boiling with fury. The flickering green braziers in the chamber flared wildly as if reacting to his emotion. Beneath the bone-carved floor, dozens of kneeling cultists dared not even breathe loudly.

  “Fourteen dirigibles, an entire mercenary battalion, nearly two dozen Elemental Adept Magi, and one Nexus Temporal Magus… all wiped out by a mere Elemental Adept Magus and a bunch of ragtag acolytes?!”

  He struck the altar with his palm, and a handprint-shaped crack spread across its surface.

  “Victor Asteriscus…” he muttered, the name tasting like poison. “You’re far more dangerous than I ever imagined. I’ve clearly underestimated you one too many times.”

  The memories he’d glimpsed from the Outer God’s slain champion flickered through his mind once more. The blue-haired Magus. The academy teeming with thousands of acolytes and hundreds of mechanical golems…

  Tenebrael had seen enough.

  “If the Merlins can’t finish the job, then I will.”

  He turned to the crimson-robed cultist kneeling closest to him and issued an order: “Prepare the curse ritual. Summon all the high-ranking members of the Cult beneath me. Send word to the surrounding factions near Thornwood Forest and spread rumors that a belligerent Magus academy has taken root there. Stir jealousy, fear, and wrath within them. I want them all to move against his academy’s growth.”

  “As you wish, Master Tenebral.” The cultist bowed. “What shall we do about the Arcane Radiance College?”

  Tenebrael grinned, the scar running down his left grotesque cheek twitching.

  “Especially them. Feed rumors of Victor’s Cosmo and Chrono affinities and the powerful Magus inheritance he possesses to their inner circle. Let them imagine what he might become… if left unchecked. Those old fogies will want him dead.”

  The Arcane Radiance College, after all, had been the hegemon of the Luminos Kingdom for millennia. They wouldn’t tolerate a wildfire they couldn’t control burning in their backyard. They would try their utmost to suppress it before it consumed them — either by taming it… or snuffing it out entirely.

  Tenebrael stepped up to the edge of the balcony overlooking the Cult’s forces — hundreds of dark-robed Magi and monstrous experiments, arrayed like chess pieces on a board.

  “The time has finally come. Let’s teach this heretic a harsh lesson and purge him and his little academy.”

  A low rumble spread through the hall as Tenebrael lifted one hand, dark energy spiraling upward into an ominous, dreadful sigil that hovered ominously above him. His voice rang out like a curse cast upon the world:

  “Let all know the regret of crossing paths with the Doomsday Cult!”

  The brazier flames dimmed, shrouding the chamber in consuming darkness.

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