[EchoZero]

  [Level: 9]

  [Psyche: 81%]

  [HP Stock: 298]

  [Transformation: 7/10]

  Level

  9. Stable. For now. Melo saw to that—his cooking, his music, his

  constant anchoring. But something had changed since they began

  looking to form a group. It was as if the fragile equilibrium they

  had built as a duo could not support the weight of other presences.

  Nova

  arrived exactly three minutes after her message.

  Small.

  Thin. Her silhouette emerged from the skin-trees with a discretion

  that suggested she had been built—or had built herself—not to be

  seen until she chose to be. She stopped at three meters. No more, no

  less. A calculated distance.

  — Before

  I officially join, she said without preamble, I have three

  conditions.

  Vincent

  tilted his head.

  — We’re

  listening.

  Nova

  raised one finger.

  — One.

  You tell me EVERYTHING about your mechanics. Cooldowns,

  transformation triggers, Psyche thresholds, danger phases.

  Everything. No "you’ll see in combat" crap. Everything.

  Now.

  Melo

  nodded.

  — Agreed.

  Nova

  raised a second finger.

  — Two.

  If your duo becomes uncontrollable—if Vincent tips into a Critical

  Phase and Melo can no longer anchor him—I disengage. I will not die

  to cover for your mistakes.

  Vincent

  tightened his jaw but nodded.

  — Understood.

  Nova

  raised a third finger.

  — Three.

  No lies. Ever. About anything. If I find out you’ve hidden

  something critical from me, I’m gone. Immediately.

  Silence.

  Vincent

  looked at v. Melo looked at Vincent.

  The name drifted for a moment through Vincent’s mind—the ghost of

  a secret discovered one night while Melo slept. He said nothing. Not

  now. Perhaps never.

  Then

  Vincent replied:

  — Deal.

  Nova

  lowered her hand.

  — Good.

  Then explain everything to me.

  For

  twenty minutes, they talked.

  Vincent

  explained the Way of the Wolf. The phases. The thresholds. The Psyche

  that dropped with every transformation. The progressive

  stabilization. The moments where he lost control—rare, but

  possible.

  — I’ve

  unlocked [Wolf Form], he said, his voice neutral but attentive to

  Nova’s reactions. Partial transformation. A fifty percent physical

  boost, but I lose five percent Psyche for every minute of use. And if

  I drop below thirty percent total Psyche, I lose all control.

  Nova

  made a mental note. No judgment. Just data.

  — [Targeted

  Fracture], [Devastating Bite], [Savage Rush], [Pure Brutality]...

  Vincent continued. Everything is calibrated for aggressive

  close-combat. I’m a glass cannon that regenerates using my HP

  Stock.

  — Current

  Stock? Nova asked.

  — Two

  hundred and ninety-eight.

  She

  nodded. Sufficient for three average fights or one major one.

  Melo

  explained the mandatory sleep. Passive absorption. Cooking buffs. The

  instruments. The necessity of keeping Vincent mentally anchored to

  prevent him from tipping over.

  — My

  role is to keep his Psyche above sixty-five percent, Melo said

  calmly. Below that, he becomes unpredictable. Below fifty... he isn’t

  really himself anymore.

  He

  did not mention Bastien. He did not mention what truly happened

  during sleep. And Vincent did not correct him.

  Nova

  listened. She asked only three questions. Precise. Surgical. At the

  end, she nodded slowly.

  — OK.

  It’s manageable. Risky, but manageable. I’ve checked the public

  logs. You two have a duo survival rate of ninety-two percent. That’s

  well above average for your classes. It means you know what you’re

  doing.

  She

  opened her interface.

  — I’m

  joining.

  [Nova_Strider

  has joined the party]

  And

  that was when everything changed.

  A

  system message exploded in the center of their vision. Impossible to

  ignore. Golden letters, platinum border.

  

!!! ELITE

  GROUP CONFIGURATION DETECTED !!!

  You

  are currently forming a group consisting of at least 3 Elite Classes.

  AUTOMATIC

  CONSEQUENCES:

  → All remaining members MUST be of Elite class.

  →

  All tier quests (Lv. 10, 20, 30, 40, 50) will shift to ELITE

  difficulty.

  → The group is now LOCKED until lvl50 or dissolution via the

  permanent death of a member.

  → No voluntary withdrawal is possible.

  → Reformation Cooldown: 72 real-world hours after dissolution.

  Are

  you certain you wish to continue?

  [ACCEPT]

  [REFUSE AND DISBAND GROUP]

  The

  silence that followed lasted exactly seven seconds.

  — Wait,

  Melo breathed. Are we... stuck?

  Nova

  closed her eyes, consulting the rules.

  — Fuck.

  Vincent

  reread the message. Once. Twice.

  Locked

  until permanent death.

  — Is

  this for real? Melo asked, her voice pale.

  Nova

  reopened her eyes.

  — Yes.

  It’s standard protocol for Elite groups. Three Elites together—the

  game considers it a conscious choice. A statement of intent.

  Vincent

  felt something twist in his gut.

  [Psyche:

  81% → 80%]

  Already.

  Just from the stress. Dammit.

  — And

  if we refuse?

  — The

  group disbands, Nova replied. We lose all our accumulated synergies.

  And we can’t reform for 72 hours. Real time.

  Melo

  swallowed hard.

  — And

  if we accept?

  Nova

  crossed her arms.

  — We

  become a permanent Elite group. All our quests are recalibrated to

  maximum difficulty. We can only recruit Elites. And until lvl 50, we can never

  separate unless one of us dies permanently in-game.

  Vincent

  looked at the message. Then at Nova. Then at Melo.

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

  — What’s

  your take?

  Nova

  didn’t answer right away. Her violet eyes stared at the system

  message, calculating, evaluating.

  — Honestly?

  she said finally. It’s a massive commitment. The kind that makes or

  breaks players. If we accept, we’re bound. Truly bound. Not just

  "in-game friends." Bound by the code.

  Melo

  turned to Vincent.

  — What

  do you think?

  Vincent

  remained silent for a moment.

  [Psyche:

  80% → 79%]

  He

  inhaled.

  — We

  accept.

  Nova

  raised an eyebrow.

  — You

  sure?

  — No.

  But we don’t really have a choice. We’re already Level 9. We need

  class quests to keep progressing. And for that, we need a group of

  five.

  Melo

  smiled—that soft, constant smile that never wavered.

  — Then

  let’s go.

  The

  three of them clicked [ACCEPT]

  The

  interface shuddered.

  The

  group frame turned a dark platinum, etched with patterns evoking

  blood oaths and intertwined Psyche.

  

!!! ELITE

  GROUP LOCKED !!!

  Current Configuration: 3/5 members

  Remaining

  Slots: 2 (Elite Classes ONLY)

  Quest Difficulty: ELITE

  Dissolution:

  IMPOSSIBLE UNTIL LVL50 (except via permanent death)

  Nova

  let out a long sigh.

  — There.

  We did it.

  Melo

  looked at the new group frame, glowing faintly in the interface.

  — It’s...

  beautiful, actually.

  Vincent,

  however, felt something strange. Not fear. Not exactly.

  Responsibility.

  [Psyche:

  79% → 78%]

  Dammit.

  It was dropping. Even with Melo’s buffs. Even with Nova joining.

  Why was it dropping?

  — We

  need two more members, Nova said. Elite classes. It’s going to be

  complicated.

  — We’ll

  post a new ad, Melo suggested. More precise this time.

  Vincent

  nodded.

  — Yeah.

  But not now. Let’s digest what just happened first.

  Nova

  agreed.

  — Wise.

  They

  stood there, the three of them, in the Agent’s Clearing, staring at

  the platinum frame of their newly sealed group. And for the first

  time in a long time, Vincent felt something that resembled belonging.

  

[Group

  Buff: Elite Harmony] [+8% to all stats] [+3% Psyche regeneration

  (passive)]

  

[Psyche:

  78% → 79%]

  Ah.

  The buff was compensating. A little. But it wouldn't be enough if

  they added two more people.

  Three

  hours later, a message arrived.

  Vincent

  was farming resources with Melo in a Level 8 zone, testing their new

  synergies while Nova observed, analyzed, and optimized.

  [New

  message: Group Application]

  Vincent

  opened the interface.

  [Sender:

  VoodUwU!_Kawa? ?] [Subject: Hi hi ~ Can I join you guys? ?]

  Helloooo

  friends!! (′? ω ?`) ? I saw your ad on the board and was like

  "omg they're looking for people!" so... well, I'm available

  hihi~ I should warn you though, I'm not super strong yet, okay! Like

  sometimes I forget to click on things and there are so many weird

  buttons but it's okay because I think if we're nice to the monsters

  they'll understand they shouldn't hit too hard (っ???)っ

  ? Oh, and

  also I stream! Well, not directly here because we can't leave the

  game but like my profile is linked to my Twitch account so you can

  see! I do cute stuff and my chat is so sweet, they just put UwUs

  everywhere hihi~ My class is... uh... wait let me check...

  Necro-Hirudarchon! (I don't even know how to pronounce that lol) But

  it looks like healing, right? Like there are leeches and it makes red

  stuff so I think it heals! ? Anyway, if you want me I'd be so

  happy!! We're gonna have so much fun together ~ Kisses!! ???

  VoodUwU!_Kawa? ? [Link to Twitch profile: 847,382 followers]

  Vincent

  blinked. Reread the message. Then he looked at Melo.

  — Is

  this a joke?

  Melo

  leaned in, reading over his shoulder.

  —

  Necro-Hirudarchon...

  Wait, isn't that...

  Nova

  materialized beside them—literally, she had teleported with a

  skill—and read the message. Her expression didn't change, but her

  voice turned glacial.

  — No.

  Vincent

  turned to her.

  — Why?

  — Because

  it’s a fake, Nova replied. No one gets Necro-Hirudarchon by

  accident. It’s a class that unlocks after refusing three other

  Elite classes. Actively. Consciously.

  Melo

  frowned.

  — Maybe

  she didn’t know what she was doing?

  Nova

  looked at him as if he had just said the Earth was flat.

  — Melo.

  That class starts with zero mana. Zero. You have to drain your own

  blood to cast spells. If you mess up your calculations, you die. If

  you panic, you die. If you spam, you die. This isn't a class for a

  "kawaii streamer who doesn't understand anything." It’s a

  class for calculating sadists who love turning suffering into

  control.

  Vincent

  reread the message, more carefully this time.

  "Like

  sometimes I forget to click on things" "I think if

  we're nice to the monsters" "I don't even know how

  to pronounce that"

  — She’s

  playing a character, Vincent murmured.

  Nova

  nodded.

  — Exactly.

  The question is why.

  Melo

  looked at the Twitch link attached to the profile.

  — 847,000

  followers. That’s... huge.

  Vincent

  felt something twist in his stomach. 847,000 people watching her

  play. 847,000 people who would be watching play.

  [Psyche:

  79% → 78%]

  — What

  do we do? Melo asked.

  Nova

  crossed her arms.

  — We

  test her. We ask for details about her class. If she answers like an

  idiot, she’s lying. If she answers precisely... then she’s also

  lying, but at least we’ll know she knows what she’s doing.

  Vincent

  nodded.

  — I’ll

  reply.

  He

  opened the messaging interface.

  [EchoZero

  → VoodUwU!_Kawa?] — Hi. Do you really have Necro-Hirudarchon?

  Instant

  reply.

  [VoodUwU!_Kawa?

  → EchoZero]— Yesiiir!! Well I think so hihi~ There are leeches

  and red stuff everywhere ? Why do you ask? o.o

  Vincent

  felt Nova stiffen beside him.

  — Ask her about Sanguine Conversion.

  [EchoZero

  → VoodUwU!_Kawa?]

  Three

  seconds of silence. Then:

  [VoodUwU!_Kawa?

  → EchoZero] — What’s that?? Wait lemme look at my spells...

  Ahhh!! The thing that hurts? Yeah I used it once but I thought it was

  a bug because it took my health away lol (╥﹏╥)

  I didn’t touch it again after that because it's scary~

  Nova

  closed her eyes.

  — She’s

  lying. Or she’s suicidal.

  Melo

  leaned in.

  — Why

  do you say that?

  — Because

  Sanguine Conversion is the heart of the class. Without it, you can

  literally do nothing. If she "used it once" and survived,

  it means she calculated exactly how much HP she could sacrifice

  without dying. And that isn't luck. That’s skill.

  Vincent

  looked at the message, then the Twitch link.

  — Can

  we check?

  Nova

  nodded.

  — The

  game allows you to consult linked public profiles. If she enabled the

  option, we can see her stream stats. Not the videos, but the

  metadata.

  She

  opened the interface and searched for VoodUwU!_Kawa?’s profile.

  The data appeared.

  

[VoodUwU!_Kawa?

  — Public Profile] Streamer — 847,382 followers

  Main Games: Animal

  Crossing, Stardew Valley, Cozy Games

  First Login (TRAUMA_a): 6 days

  ago T

  otal Playtime: 47 hours

  Current Level: 9

  Class:

  Necro-Hirudarchon (Elite)

  Solo Survival Rate: 98.3%

  Nova

  stopped at the last line.

  — 98.3%

  survival rate. Solo. With a Necro-Hirudarchon.

  Melo

  whistled softly.

  — That’s...

  impossible, right?

  — No,

  Nova replied. It’s just extremely difficult. And it proves she

  knows exactly what she’s doing.

  Vincent

  felt something boiling inside him. Not anger. Not exactly.

  Jealousy.

  She

  has everything. The followers. The talent. And she’s pretending to

  be useless.

  [Psyche:

  78% → 77%]

  — What

  do we do? Melo asked softly.

  Nova

  looked at Vincent.

  — You

  decide. You’re the DPS and the Tank. You’re the one who’s going to take the

  hit if she messes up. Or if she betrays us.

  Vincent

  stared at the profile. 847,382 followers. 98.3% survival.

  Necro-Hirudarchon.

  She’s

  better than me.

  He

  inhaled.

  — We

  test her. In combat. If she survives, she stays. If she’s lying,

  she’s out.

  Nova

  nodded.

  — Fine.

  Melo

  smiled.

  — Works

  for me.

  Vincent

  reopened the messaging interface.

  [EchoZero

  → VoodUwU!_Kawa?]— OK. We’re testing you. Meeting point:

  Agent’s Clearing, northwest sector. In one hour. We’re doing a

  Level 9 dungeon together. If you survive, you’re in the group.

  Immediate

  reply.

  [VoodUwU!_Kawa?

  → EchoZero] — Omg so cool!! I’m gonna go get ready!! See ya

  soon ~ ???

  Vincent

  closed the interface.

  — One

  hour. We get ready too.

  Nova

  nodded.

  — I’m

  going to check my cooldowns.

  Melo

  started pulling out ingredients.

  — I’ll

  cook something that boosts mental resistance. Just in case.

  Vincent

  sat down—still in his Watchdog Man position, obviously—and looked

  up at Machouille’s grey sky.

  A

  streamer. A calculator disguised as an idiot. And 847,000 people

  watching her.

  And

  me, what am I in the middle of all this?

  [Psyche:

  77%]

  He

  breathed in.

  — We’ll

  see.