*** Worship
The next day, I'm back with the Happy Go-Getters, taking on yet another rank three realm boss—some massive mushroom-looking thing. It didn't have legs but lashed out with long, whip-like vines.
I'm locked in a tug-of-war with several of them while Val hammers the main body with her usual spells and Jess hacks away at the remaining tendrils. We're hurting it, no doubt—but the oversized fungus just keeps regenerating.
I block another strike from a freshly grown vine. Ugh. These things are worse than weeds—they just keep popping back up. I grab the vine and tear it apart with brute force.
This is going to be a long fight—
"Bloody Valley orcs worship you," the system suddenly chimes inside my head.
…What?
Worship? What does that even—
Wham!
The mushroom slams me right in the face.
That's it! I'm turning this thing into salad dressing.
I crank overpower all the way up to 200%. My muscles scream as they swell far beyond their limits, magic venting off me like steam. I can't hold this for long—but that's fine. I'll make sure to end this bastard quickly!
I seize the mushroom's thick stem, ignoring the vines lashing at me, and haul with everything I have. The ground tears apart as I yank the thing free.
"SKREEEE!" the fungus shrieks—somehow, despite lacking anything resembling a mouth—thrashing uselessly against my grip. At 200% overpower, its resistance is meaningless.
With one final pull, I rip it completely out by the roots.
"Eee…eee…"
The scream fades into nothing. Without the soil to feed it, the creature quickly shriveled up.
Just in time—my magic reserves are practically empty.
Seriously, that was reckless. If that hadn't worked, I would've been in real trouble.
I drop the carcass, deactivate overpower, and wipe the blood from my nose. Ugh. Getting clocked in the face because I got distracted by a system notification—how unprofessional. Still… What was that message about the orcs?
"Are you okay, Violet?" Fie asks, already checking everyone's condition.
"I'm fine." My nose isn't broken, at least.
"You kinda zoned out there," Val says, clearly enjoying the chance to tease.
"Yeah," I admit with a sigh. "The system sent me a… weird notification."
That immediately grabs their attention. Great. If I don't explain, they—Val specifically—will never let it go.
"Something about orcs worshiping me," I say with a shrug.
"Worship?" Jess echoes. "Why?"
I have no idea. It's not like I did anything that special—
Another ping interrupts my thoughts. This time, the system informs me that the Queen of Darkness wants to see me.
…Great. Maybe she'll explain what's going on.
I let the team know that the queen—I mean my class evaluator—has summoned me.
"No way!" Val blurts out. "Are you tiering up already?"
Honestly? I don't know. This doesn't feel like a normal tier-up notice. But if it's not that, then what is it?
Either way, there's only one way to find out.
The timing's good, at least. We've wrapped up the boss fight and were about ready to call it a day anyway.
We exit the fungi realm, divide the loot—nothing worthwhile—and then I go to the Dark Realm.
The world shifts, and I materialize once more inside the obsidian castle. This time, it's quiet—just the armored guards standing at attention and the Queen of Darkness seated upon her throne.
"Oh, look, Vespera! The little one is here!" the queen coos. "You certainly caused quite a stir—charming the orcs like that."
Charming the orcs? Since when did I ever—
"Still," she continues, "you deserve praise. To make others worship you is the highest form of charm." I feel her analyze me. "And you achieved it without using charm magic. How, exactly?"
I honestly have no idea.
But the queen is clearly expecting an answer.
I shrug.
Probably not the most respectful response to devil royalty, but it's the only honest one I've got.
She bursts into laughter. "You really are an amusing creature. Very well—I suppose I can overlook the trouble you've caused."
Trouble? What trouble?
"Are you certain, my queen?" Vespera asks from her side. "Many of our younger sisters use the orcs as training partners."
"Oh, they'll be fine," the queen replies dismissively. "The orcs will simply see them as agents of their goddess now. And if that becomes inconvenient, we can always find another realm to train in."
Vespera hesitates, then nods, accepting the ruling.
I'm still trying to process what I just heard. Training ground compromised…? The Bloody Valley?
"I believe you've earned yourself a tier-up," the queen says, snapping me back to reality.
"That isn't standard procedure," Vespera points out.
"Oh, come now," the queen replies with a smile. "We can't leave someone with accomplishments like hers stuck at tier two. What would that say about the rest of us?"
Vespera frowns but says nothing more.
The queen snaps her fingers, and a servant approaches, holding… clothes?
"A small reward to celebrate your promotion," the queen explains.
Huh. No strawberry-flavored black liquid this time?
I look down at the outfit: black leather pants and a matching top, far too many straps, and a pair of tall boots.
"Succubus armor," the queen declares proudly.
Armor? This? No. That's a dominatrix costume.
Still… the stats are undeniably good.
Ugh. Fine. I'll just use a Scroll of Aesthetics later and change it into something less humiliating.
With that decided, I exit the realm.
I'm still left with questions. What exactly did the queen mean by the trouble I caused? I doubt she'll explain it—probably finds it more entertaining to watch me piece it together on my own. Honestly, I can't fault her for that. I've done the same to my recruits. Good times.
I rematerialize back on Earth. First order of business: purchase a new Scroll of Aesthetics. After that, I head straight home and collapse into bed.
I'll let the team know about my tier-up tomorrow.
*** Going public
I wake to my phone ringing.
Who the hell is calling at this hour? The sun isn't even up yet.
Still half-asleep, I stumble out of bed and nearly tip over as the weight on my chest pulls me forward. Ugh. I was so exhausted last night that I forgot to switch out of my succubus form.
The phone keeps ringing.
"Alright, alright! I'm coming," I grumble, snatching it up.
It's Nolan. Great. What does he want?
I answer.
"Jax, what did you do?" Nolan demands immediately.
"What are you talking about?"
"…Jax, is that you? Why are you in your succubus form?" he asks, clearly thrown off by my high-pitched voice.
"Ugh, don't ask. Why are you calling?"
"Right—about that," Nolan says, then launches into it. Apparently, the Bloody Valley's rank has increased. It's now a rank three realm. The NAA is swamped because of it.
"And who do I know that frequents the Bloody Valley?" he adds pointedly.
"Hey, I had nothing to—"
Actually… is this the trouble the Queen of Darkness was talking about? A sudden danger increase in a training ground would definitely qualify as trouble. But how is that my fault?
"We're also getting reports about a new type of orc," Nolan continues. "They fight like trained boxers. Ring any bells?"
…Okay. That one might be on me.
"But hey, your timing couldn't be better," he adds.
"Timing?" I ask. "What are you talking about?"
"I heard you just hit tier three," Nolan says.
Wait—how does he know that?
Oh. Right. Fie. She reports directly to the NAA.
"That means we can finally move ahead with our plan," he informs.
"You're being intentionally vague again," I tell him.
He just laughs.
"Get to the NAA as soon as you can. I'll explain everything there." And then he hangs up.
Ugh. Nolan always did love dragging people along. Still… I am curious what's scheming in that noggin of his.
I grab a jacket and head out. Nolan's waiting for me at the NAA building, wearing a grin far too wide for my comfort.
…Yeah. I'm definitely not going to like this.
He leads me into a private room, where the rest of the Happy Go-Getters are already gathered. That's where he finally lays out the plan.
At last. Always so theatrical.
I have to admit, though—it's a good plan.
Now that I've reached tier three, we can proudly declare my membership in the Happy Go-Getters to the public. And we can use the commotion caused by the rank-up of the Bloody Valley to promote the news.
Most of the talk about marketing and promotion goes right over my head, but one part is crystal clear: we'll be fighting orcs.
That part I understand. That part I like.
I'm almost impressed. A Nolan plan I can actually get behind.
"Alright, then! Let's get this rolling!" Val shouts, and I can't help but agree—already itching to face these new orcs.
Unfortunately, things aren't so straightforward.
Before the fun, we had to introduce the public to the new face of the Happy Go-Getters. And that meant interviews. And not the quick kind I pictured. No—this was something else entirely.
I spent the entire day being dragged from place to place like a living prop. Dressed up, redressed, drilled on speeches, shoved in front of microphones, and forced to smile for interview after interview. And the photos—so many photos. Endless flashes, nonstop. We're trying to get the Saviors' attention, sure, but did it really have to be this extreme? Compared to those camera flashes, a flashbang almost seems merciful.
Ugh. So that's why Nolan was grinning.
I really should have known better.
The next day brought one final interview.
"I'm here with the Happy Go-Getters and their newest member, Violet!" the reporter announces to the camera. She's the polished kind—easy on the eyes, smooth voice, clearly picked to appeal to younger viewers.
"They'll be entering the Bloody Valley to reassess the realm's rank," she continues. I barely listen. I just wave at the camera and pray this ends quickly.
At least there's one silver lining. The Scroll of Aesthetics I ordered finally arrived, letting me tweak the new succubus armor into something far less humiliating. Sneakers, shorts, and a loose jacket left half unzipped—all black. I look like some goth tomboy ripped straight out of a Playboy magazine. But honestly? I'll take it.
"They'll also be accompanied by an appraisal mage who will document their exploits," the reporter drones on.
Right. The official recording. Fie could have done it, but keeping her abilities secret is important, which is why Mika is standing beside us.
Yep. Mika the appraisal mage—and, apparently, Nolan's designated scapegoat. The poor girl looks like she's seconds away from passing out.
The reporter keeps going, rambling about duty, courage, and responsibility. How long is this speech supposed to be?
"Hey," Val whispers. "Why don't we just head into the realm now?"
"Val, we can't just—" Fie starts, but I cut her off.
"I second that." Enough with the talking already. I want action.
"…Fine," Jess agrees, clearly reluctant.
Yes!
We grab hands, and—while the reporter keeps talking to the camera, ranting on about who knows what at this point—I select the Bloody Valley realm.