Liam looked tend at his friends. Finally, all of them mao perform fsh step at least once.

  “Help!”

  A desperate shout could be heard, causing Liam to smile at Braag.

  “Two fsh steps in a row! You’re a prodigy!”

  “Stop joking and save me!”

  Liam ughed as he drew his swords a into battle. Together with his friends the four ros fell quickly.

  The party stayed for a while, training some more before setting off. Following Liam, they soon arrived in Svebrial, where they rented a small arena at the edge of the city.

  This arena ecifically provided for pyers to train. One could choose between all kinds of options, like invulnerability or stat boosts.

  The party made full use of it, honing their skills against each other. Especially the mages training fsh step made solid progress.

  While Liam and his friends were training, others weren’t idle. They found their own means to level up quickly.

  Star Gazer and his followers occupied a vast pin somewhere within a human kingdom. They were divided into ten groups, each of them serving one member of the main dueam.

  A few pyers gathered a couple of red-skinned horses, attag them until they were close to death. At this moment, Star Gazer finished his cast. A shockwave suddenly spread through the air, striking all the horses.

  With oack multiple enemies died, giving all their EXP to Star Gazer.

  The handsome ma his sharp gaze wander around, the progress of his men.

  “Pen, how are we doing?”

  Star Gazer’s meticulht-hand man instantly appeared o him. The orc with a body full of building muscles spoke in a refined voice:

  “Boss, the main team will soon reach level twenty. Only Falling Diamant needs some help. He is a healer after all.”

  “Good. How is the ranking list doing?”

  “We are catg up. Hotpot has slowed dowhe st two days. This Bleary Mirage has not even reached level twenty yet.”

  A hint of excitement could be heard from Spiked Pen. But Star Gazer couldn’t help but frown.

  “Is something wrong, boss?”

  “Of course. Why would Hotpot staghey must have done something else…”

  “Silver Bde and a few others have been seen doing quests in Duabalis Harbor.”

  “What else?”

  “Well, we don’t have information on anyone else.”

  Star Gazer mulled over it for a moment before shaking his head.

  “Keep an eye on them. Otherwise, lets focus on the dungeon!”

  An image of Liam’s fident face as they made their bet fshed in Star Gazer’s mind. He couldn’t help but grin dangerously.

  The sed dungeon Kelsnim’s invasion. You think you are ahead of us? But you don’t know that we have a lot of information about this dungeon! I have to thank your parents for this… Liam Varsmith.

  At this moment Liam left the arena alone. For some reason he was in a bad mood. heless, it would sooime for the raid.

  But before this he had to reach level 20. Otherwise, the dungeon wouldn’t grant him entrance.

  Thus, the young mahe city searg for some monsters. He spent a day sol, occasionally chatting with his friends and finally reached level 20.

  When it was time to log off Liam was rather rexed. He chatted for a while with Master Baker.

  Liam felt he was close to his first breakthrough in martial arts, the Flesh Strengthening Stage. By now he, Silva, and Felix also had a talk about mana pathways with the master.

  The old man was not happy to hear about their experience as it bore the risk of damaging one’s foundation. Master Baker would have loved to stop them but with the game’s importa was impossible.

  Eventually the old master was forced to give in. He promised to adjust the training to minimize the damage. Sihen, he had been in a bad mood, feeling more and more how Fate of aboul threateo make martial arts obsolete.

  The disciples couldn’t bear it, attempting to cheer up the master by training hard, but the effect was only minimal.

  When Liam left the dojo, he could only let out a sigh, feeling plicated seeing the master like this.

  On the way home he tried to divert his thoughts, scrolling through some news.

  “Star Gazer reag level 20: Is the race for the dungeon about to begin?”

  “Everything you o know about the top guilds.”

  “Callida ahquake: Don’t uimate us!”

  “Miss I never miss: Clearing the dungeon for a low price.”

  “Hotpot: they keep their reputation as the first party?”

  Liam read through the many articles with a grin. Thinking of the dungeon he was already imagining what to do with the 1.000.000 credits he would receive from Star Gazer in a few days.

  After scrolling for a while another headline suddenly caught his attention. It was in the se about universe-wide news:

  “Colville Holding acquires lise to Peach Blossom Martial Arts: An attempt to get into the beauty business?”

  Liam’s eyes lit up. He quickly sent his gratutions to Silva. Sihe family listeo her advice, it would probably increase her status again.

  At this point Star Gazer would already find it difficult to catch up. Silva’s real petitors would be the children of other branches, located os far away.

  Liam inexplicably felt happy for his friend while getting off the car. Suddenly a weird feeling welled up in his chest. He abruptly turned his head but didn’t spot anything but the usual traffic.

  “Liam, you’re finally home!”

  Aed voice came from within Merida’s ic. Liam smiled, turning his head towards Serena.

  Some distance away a rge bck car was slowly ing out of a side street, leaving quietly.

  “Serena! Did you have fun today?”

  “No…”

  Liam chatted with his sister while walking up the stairs. His face fell when he heard her answer.

  “Why? Did something happen? Is the discroup not fun?”

  “No no, that’s alright. But I was so anxious today! Brother, those other teams are all catg up! Why didn’t you ehe duoday? You ’t fall behind.”

  Taken aback, Liam stared at his sister’s worried expression, a warm feeling spreading in his chest. Eventually he let out a light chuckle.

  “There is o worry. No one will stand a ce against us.”

  “How you be so sure?”

  “Do you think we were just idle these days? We made necessary preparations. In my opinion the gap between us and others increased instead of decreasing!”

  “But those news articles…”

  “e on. Who would know better? The news or your brother?”

  “Well…”

  Serena g her brother, her expression slowly turning pyful as her worry lessened. When Liam saw her like this he broke out into ughter.

  “You little… Just wait till I get you!”

  “No, no! Ahh!”

  A joyful se could be seen throughout the stairway as Liam chased his sister, threatening to teach her a lesson. A few seds ter he suddenly caught her and picked her up, throwing her onto the cou Merida’s apartment.

  At this point, Serena waved her hands, in a feigned pleading voice:

  “Liam, stop, please stop. I will buy my freedom, alright?”

  “Buy? What do you have to offer?”

  “I, I will give you a lot of food!”

  “Do you think you sell Merida’s food to me? rick…”

  “No, in the game! I cooked for the others today and became a basic cook!”

  “What? Really?! Wow…”

  Liam was genuinely impressed as Serena’s process was quite fast. He sat dowo her, casually discussing her experiences in the game.

  Not far away i Merida looked at the two youngsters with plicated emotions. Her eyes involuntarily waowards the picture of her daughter on a shelf close by.

  The older woma out a sigh before fog ba cooking.

  Liam had a rexed evening. The day Serena early, wishing him good luck before he left the house.

  The young man was in a good mood as he drove to the dojo. But suddenly his usually silent bodyguard’s stern voice could be heard.

  “We are being followed.”

  Immediately the atmosphere int the car turense. Liam looked at the back mirror, spotting a bck car weaving through the traffic.

  The driver’s body tensed as he g his passengers:

  “Ehm, sirs… this… I, I’m not made for this! C… could you please get off my car?”

  Liam looked at the frightened man. He was just about to nod when his bodyguard interrupted him:

  “No! Driver, listen closely and follow my instrus.”

  Turning to Liam he added some more:

  “Our pany has emergens in pce for cases like this. We only o reach headquarters. The safety of our ts is hest priority!”

  “Are we eveain that we’re in danger?”

  “Not necessarily. But we ’t take any risks.”

  “Alright.”

  Liam let out a sigh, a hint of worry in his eyes. A momehe car left the main street uhe bodyguard’s instrus.