Three days after the "Fleeing of Ester".
Today, the warriors welcomed a luxurious morning.
Like normal people, they sat up from beds as soft as clouds, letting out long, satisfying yawns.
They pushed open bathroom doors to the embrace of warm steam and the fresh scent of toiletries—brushing, washing, bathing—every pore was cheering in delight.
At this moment, who remembered they were ever overworked "laborers" under a black-hearted system?
Having washed away the grime of battle, the warriors emerged radiant, their eyes sparkling with a primal hunger for the "Sacrament" that awaited them.
Inside the canteen, the aroma was almost physical.
It was a forbidden delicacy cooked from the legendary materials Volt-Eater's Secret Marrow: Steamed Secret Marrow and Braised Wolf Leg.
When the first bite of wolf meat, drenched in rich juices, hit their palates, their souls shivered.
The violent energy within the marrow had been perfectly tamed by the cooking process, turning into warm currents that washed through their limbs.
The accumulated aches and fatigue of days of fighting vanished into the texture of molten gold. Every cell in their bodies felt instantly revived.
However, happiness is as fleeting as sand through fingers.
"Mission time! Warriors, get ready!! MOVE!!!"
Ester's shrill cry struck like a thunderclap, instantly shredding the last shred of laziness in the room.
The air chilled as they entered a state of ultimate combat readiness.
Without a second's hesitation, the warriors put down their utensils and wiped the lingering grease from their lips—a final salute to the top-tier ingredients and a prelude to the slaughter.
Minutes ago, they were diners squinting in gourmet bliss; minutes later, they had transformed into "Blood and Sweat Meteors" fueled by righteous heat.
"I'm full—time to stretch these bones!"
Carrying the abundant energy of the meal and matchless fighting spirit, they burst through the doors, slicing through the air toward the mission area currently under siege!
The base fell into a deathly silence.
Inside the Armor Forge, Lawson—the SSS-rank Armor Smith who once dominated the battlefield—was currently huddled in the corner like a frightened quail.
He was being forced to attend the "Workshop Reform Plan" press conference hosted by Katie.
Since today was the so-called "Reform Day," Katie had done the unthinkable: she had skipped the mission to devote herself entirely to the "execution" of the account books.
"This... is impossible! How can it be this little?!"
Katie stared at the glaring red numbers on the computer screen and let out a piercing interrogation.
She whipped her head around, her "aggressive-as-fire" gaze threatening to burn a hole through Lawson.
Lawson stared fixedly at his toes, not daring to look his "Financial Director" in the eye.
"Senior, you truly have SSS-rank crafting skills, but your business brain is lower than an F-rank!" Katie took a deep breath and pointed at the report, roaring,
"After deducting operating costs, the workshop has only made a net profit of 10,000 LP? Look at the warriors out there! They're dripping with wealth! A single random mission nets them tens of thousands!"
"I can't help it..." Lawson propped up his chin with a pathetic, decadent pout.
"How many living people are even here? High-level materials don't grow like weeds on the roadside. With less than ten people placing orders or repairs, I should win an award just for not being in debt."
"That—is exactly why I drafted this Great Reform Plan!"
Katie stood with her hands on her hips, chest out like a legendary tycoon surveying her empire.
Her sharp gaze swept the room.
"Look at this base. Aside from the Weapon Forge and the Armor Forge, is there anywhere else for those guys with 'excess gold' to spend their money?"
Lawson's eyes rolled halfway, and after a moment, he threw up his hands and gave up thinking.
"There really isn't... So, my former-famous-boutique-owner, what is your brilliant insight?"
Katie's eyes instantly became as sharp as an unscrupulous merchant's, her lips curling into a cunning arc capable of harvesting an entire prairie.
"This plan can thoroughly bleed... I mean, allow the lovely warriors to fully enjoy the 'joy' of consumption."
"Look at that evil glint in your eyes," Lawson shivered.
"It's a waste of talent that you aren't a vampire. Tell me, how do you plan to 'drain' those nouveau riche?"
A moment later, when the full scope of the plan was laid out before him, the Armor Smith's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"No! Absolutely not! Those materials are my lifeblood!"
"You have no choice."
Katie said nothing more; her toes were already braced for power.
Before Lawson could react, she vaulted over the counter and grabbed him by the collar like a dead dog.
Poor Lawson clung to the corner of the wall, his fingernails leaving tragic scratch marks on the surface, but he was ruthlessly dragged to the front of the Vault.
"How can I help you both..." the Vault Manager greeted them politely.
"Get me a few of your largest hemp sacks!" Katie shouted with the bravado of a highway bandit, still dangling Lawson in one hand.
"I need to withdraw a large amount of 'strategic resources'!"
She shoved Lawson toward the scanner, her eyes captivating yet terrifying.
"Quickly, be a good boy and open the Vault. Spit everything out!"
Lawson tried to bolt, but Katie flicked her wrist to block his path, slowly pulling out her phone.
"Want to run? My {Moon Swift} just happens to need a sparring partner."
Under this violent suppression, Lawson finally succumbed.
He pressed his palm against the scanner, looking as if he were signing a heartless treaty of territorial surrender.
As the Vault doors slowly ground open, Katie's eyes gleamed with a wild, triumphant smile.
"That's it... Take out all the high-level materials you've hoarded over the last ten years and liquidate them! From today, the Armor Forge is no longer just a workshop. It is a one-stop-shop for material trading, armor customization, and repairs—the Nova Star Armor Center! Hahahaha!"
Those poor warriors would likely have to offer up even more "blood" now.
Perhaps Lawson could build a tailor shop next just to patch up their wounded wallets...
The blue light of the teleportation device gradually faded.
The warriors had braced themselves to face crumbling ruins.
However, the sight that met them made everyone catch their breath.
There were no scorched ruins here—only a dreamlike forest of stunning beauty.
"So beautiful..." Emma murmured. "It makes you want to throw all your troubles away."
"Indeed, my dear." Victor suddenly switched into "Lover Mode," gazing at Valerie.
"In a place like this, to not dance with you would be the greatest sacrilege against the forest's beauty. Come, my princess."
"S-stop it, Victor!" Valerie's logic short-circuited.
She blurted out, "Do you want the whole world to know we're dating?!"
The air fell into a brief, dead silence.
Then, pairs of eyes burning with the fire of gossip projected toward them from all sides. Valerie let out a cry of shame, covering her burning face.
Just as the atmosphere sank into awkwardness, Dodge adopted a sentimental "old father" gaze.
"I remember back then... In the blink of an eye, you've 'grown up.' Even though you've been snatched by a pig like Victor... it's great!"
"Any way you look at it, you're the one who looks more like a golden-haired wild boar..." George deadpanned.
"Brother! How can you say that?" Phyllis grabbed George's arm with a serious expression.
Just as George thought his sister was defending team unity, she corrected him earnestly:
"How does Brother Dodge look like a pig? He is clearly a majestic brown bear."
George: "..." (Is there a fundamental difference? My dear sister, you just changed the species to continue the personal attack!)
Seeing this, Luther stepped forward to protect his teacher, standing in front of Dodge.
A warm current flowed through Dodge's heart: Truly my own disciple, reliable in a crisis!
However, Luther's next words carried a sincerity that was absolutely fatal:
"I won't let you talk about my Master like that!" Luther stepped forward.
"Master is not a wild boar, nor is he a brown bear! He simply has the physique of a bear and the brain of a suckling pig! This is the truth!"
Dodge's flushed face instantly turned lead-gray.
He looked as if he had been hit by a petrification spell, weathering away on the spot.
"Pffft—Hahahaha!" Emma rolled on the grass laughing.
"ENOUGH! YOU IDIOT WARRIORS!!" Ester's face trembled with rage.
"Keep wasting time and the Wood-Walkers will bloom and eat you all!!"
The moment she finished speaking, the peaceful forest went berserk.
A gale roared through, and the tall trees swayed violently, emitting not the rustle of leaves, but a tooth-aching creak-crunch of snapping bones.
"EVERYONE—ARMOR LINK!! NOW!!"