[Galaxy Association.]
The echoing quiet of the Galaxy Association hall seemed to amplify the receptionist's stunned reaction. Mirabella, her expression one of focused efficiency, placed the required ten Lv10 skeleton monster cards and the Boss's Monster card on the counter.
"Wow, so fast," the receptionist mumbled, quickly validating the haul. He shot a glance past Mirabella to Carl, who stood dutifully behind her.
'She must've taken help, but even so… two Level 10s completing an A-rank mission? Unheard of.' He pushed aside his shock, dropping a heavy leather pouch and a rolled-up scroll onto the counter.
"This is your reward: 5,000 gold and one low-class skill scroll," he explained, his tone returning to professional calm. "It's a random skill scroll—you'll gain a random low-class skill upon use. Nothing above that tier."
"Thank you." Mirabella took the scroll, her fingers brushing the worn parchment before she tossed the heavy pouch of gold to Carl. "You will be in charge of our money. Just save it."
Carl, his face lighting up with pride, tucked the coins into his storage space, the polished silver of his mid-class armor gleaming faintly. "Yes, my Queen."
"My Queen?" The receptionist's composure finally broke, his eyes widening.
Mirabella forced a tight, brittle smile and pulled Carl toward the exit. "Don't mind him; he's just being childish." She practically dragged him towards the exit.
Across the vast hall, near a neglected trophy case, stood another group, their conversation a low, resentful murmur.
"Gosh! Who would have thought a rat could be so powerful!" muttered Miranda, plucking a stray corn leaf from her crimson hair.
"That farmer's field was immense, and chasing a mere Field Rat in that dense corn and rice was annoying," Alice added, gesturing to her dirt-caked school shoes. The grime felt like a badge of their struggle. "My legs are covered in dirt."
"At least we gained something," Angela said, turning to Ethan, who held two small, jiggling pouches of gold.
"The farmer was surprisingly generous," Ethan noted, a smugness in his tone.
"It's a good thing we discovered the rat's babies and sold them to him as future pest control. Now we have money for upgrades." He tossed one pouch to Miranda. "That one is for you and Alice. Angela and I will share this one."
"I didn't know you were so thoughtful," Miranda replied with a small smile, turning to Alice. "Come on, let's go get some new clothes. You guys also need to ditch these school uniforms." She eyed Ethan and Angela's slightly torn, sweat-stained attire.
"Yeah, you're right... Come on, let's go—"
Ethan froze mid-sentence. His eyes widened as Mirabella, radiating a faint aura of cold confidence, dragged a beaming Carl right past them. They didn't even spare the group a glance, walking out as if they were invisible specters.
"Was that Carl?" Angela asked, her surprise a mix of disbelief and recognition.
"Who is Carl?" Miranda asked, confused. She, Alice, and Ethan hadn't been in Mirabella's class and didn't know the "loser" Mirabella had supposedly scorned.
"He was Mirabella's and my classmate—a notorious weakling," Angela replied, a small, dismissive smile forming.
"Seems she got together with that fool. Honestly, it suits her. Leaving Ethan, who is far more handsome, wealthy and smart, for a commoner. Forget her. We need to focus on getting stronger, truly understanding the mechanics of this world, and moving up the ranks."
The rest of the group nodded, the pursuit of power refocusing their attention.
____
"Miss!"
Mirabella, still leading Carl, paused as Jessica, the imposing four-star general, approached. Jessica was flanked by ten soldiers, many looking battered, several hurriedly drinking health potions to mend grievous injuries. The group was noticeably smaller than Mirabella remembered seeing earlier.
'They suffered serious losses,' she thought, a flicker of curiosity replacing her irritation.
"Um… Miss, I want to ask for your help," Jessica requested, her arrogance replaced by a grudging pragmatism.
'Wow. The arrogant, brilliant, and powerful Jessica is asking me for help? The world truly has changed,' Mirabella thought, raising an eyebrow. She knew this was a prime opportunity to gain an advantage.
"What can I help you with?"
"As you can see, we suffered heavy losses, all due to my foolish misjudgment," Jessica admitted, her face dark with frustration. She opened a map and pointed to a diagram marked with a violent swirl of storm and lightning symbols. "I asked around, and someone told me there's a valuable treasure in this region."
Mirabella froze: 'That is the Devil's Grave!' Her face paled for a moment, a rare crack in her composed self. In her past life in Galaxy Fall, the Devil's Grave was a forbidden region, a place where even gods feared to tread—especially in the late servers.
"Well, the intel mentioned a Legendary-class weapon," Jessica continued, oblivious to Mirabella's fear.
"If I can get it, our team's overall strength will skyrocket, but I clearly underestimated the initial enemy defenses and lost ten good soldiers."
"So why do you need my help? I'm only a Level 10 player, and you are a Lv15 general," Mirabella pressed, subtly probing for Jessica's true motive.
"You are a Lv10, but you have a Neutral Reputation," Jessica stated, her eyes sharp. "That usually means powerful skills, rare equipment, or something else entirely that doesn't fit for a beginner. The power you possess is disguised."
"Lady, equipment and skills of that caliber can only be used by higher levels," Mirabella deflected, trying to gracefully back out of the perilous request.
"I truly don't think I can assist you here."
She started to walk away, but Jessica quickly turned, delivering the ultimate temptation:
"I will give you a High-Grade Boss Monster Card!"
Mirabella froze, the fear of the Devil's Grave instantly battling the lure of the reward. She spun back around.
"A High-Grade Boss monster card?" she asked, a severe frown creasing her brow. "How did you get such a powerful card? Selling it would bring in millions of gold. Why give it to me?" The question was pointed; such a gift always had strings.
"I need that weapon," Jessica insisted. "I just need your help to distract the monsters. I will enter the main hall and take it. I've thoroughly scouted the monsters inside now, so it won't be a repeat of the first time."
Mirabella maintained her skeptical look. "Show me the card."
Jessica tapped herGalaxy bracelet, and a magnificent golden monster card materialized, bearing the vivid image of a swirling black eagle.
"We found it dead; I didn't kill it," Jessica preempted, observing Mirabella's reaction.
"I converted it into a card purely for its potential value. I didn't absorb its power because I thought it might be useful later. I see now that decision was wise."
'This is the Black Eagle Boss—the strongest monster recorded in the entire beginner server's log!' Mirabella's mind raced.
'Did something even stronger kill it? Is this the real reason so many initial human players failed to make it past the tutorial? The world is far more dangerous than I thought.'
Finally, she opened her mouth. "So my job is solely to lead the monsters away?"
"Yes. We will enter the main hall and take the weapon swiftly," Jessica confirmed.
The silence hung heavy. A Legendary-class weapon was an invaluable treasure, but the Devil's Grave was a death sentence:
'Perhaps the server hasn't stabilized yet. Perhaps it's not as dangerous as the second server's version of the Grave,' she rationalized, her strategic mind taking over. The card was too valuable to pass up.
"Okay. We will go with you," Mirabella agreed, the shadow of her past ambition eclipsing her caution.
"Thank you. I will pay you after the mission," Jessica said, immediately dismissing the card.
"Hold on. What if you die in this mission? How will you pay me?" Mirabella asked sharply, a warning in her voice.
Jessica chuckled, a chilling sound, and began walking toward the city gate. "I don't die."
Her newly-healed soldiers followed her. Carl and Mirabella fell in behind them.
"Um… My Queen, where is your partner?" Carl asked, noticing the absence of Cupcake. The white cat had disappeared into the city the moment they entered.
"Don't worry, she is getting something very important," Mirabella replied. She leaned closer to Carl, her tone deadly serious. "Remember this, Carl: whatever happens on this mission, always stay close to me. If you see many enemies, run. Just make sure to get off the region boundary, and you will be safe. Remember that."
Carl, sensing the true gravity of her words, nodded with fervent determination. "Leave it to me, My Queen. I am the best runner who ever lived!"
'Does this guy know I'm naturally faster than him?' Mirabella thought, rolling her eyes. She focused back on Jessica and her small squad.
'I must be careful. Jessica must not know my full strength. She is even more unpredictable than an intelligent monster.'
___
Meanwhile, on the other side of the bustling Galaxycity, Cupcake stood transfixed in front of a quaint candy store, staring at the colorful sweets piled high in the window display.
"Finally found it," the cat muttered to herself, folding her shimmeringwings.
"Master can stop complaining about the lack of sweets now."She padded confidently into the store.