[NunuNote: Guess who’s been going back and forth to the hospital a lot lately? After feeling like I was peeing lava, I found out I have kidney stones. The pain when I pee is terrible, and the cost of surgery is extremely high, plus I’m a little afraid of anesthesia, so I followed the doctor’s recommendation and started treatment at home. I’m finally feeling better, no more pain when I urinate or anything like that. I’m sorry for disappearing for so long.]
The soft light of Eden-3 filtered through the smart curtains of the penthouse at Skyline Heaven, bathing Lohan’s room in a glow that, though artificial, was superior to anything he’d ever seen while living in the Lower Zone, obviously not counting Elysium.
Lohan opened his eyes slowly, feeling the muscular density of his body respond with invigorating vitality.
Even before he got up to prepare his meal, which, though tasty in parts, still required the nutritional solution that was now essential for maintaining integration with the Slime base, his eye device vibrated subtly.
It was a message from Lisa with no context, just a link.
At first, he was concerned about it, having heard so many stories of scams from his previous world that worked exactly this way, but considering the level of cybersecurity in this world, and assuming that the Vance heiress’s accounts would be even more secure, he trusted it.
Curious, Lohan tapped the holographic screen with his finger, and the link directed him to Syn, the Human Federation’s largest social network. The profile that opened on his screen made Lohan’s heart skip a beat.
It was the official Astralis Requiem account.
The profile was newly created, but the blue verified badge shone next to the guild’s name, a privilege that only individuals or organizations with great influence or prestige could obtain so quickly.
Even without any official promotional campaign, the number of followers was staggering: more than three thousand people!
Lohan refreshed the page and saw the number rise to 3,024. Another refresh, 3,045. The growth rate was 10 to 20 new followers every few seconds.
There was only a single post. An artistic image of the blurred outline of a fossilized tree he knew very well, under a starry sky, with the short and striking caption: "Where the stars rest."
"Who took this photo? It turned out really well!" Lohan thought, genuinely surprised by it.
The post had already racked up over five thousand likes and six hundred comments. Lohan scrolled through the comments, feeling a sense of satisfaction as he read the reactions of the players interacting there.
[Is this real? Is this the profile of the guild that cleared the first dungeon and killed the Level 15 Elite?!]
[The profile is verified, it must be the official group of that first PK player!]
Other comments were more direct:
[Is Astralis recruiting? I’m Level 11 and have a Rare Base, I want to join the elite!]
[Where are you based? Is it in a city near the sea?]
And, just as Lohan had expected, his name didn’t go unnoticed.
[Is Halon still part of the guild? Or was he just a mercenary hired for the PK?]
The guild’s profile remained completely silent.
Lohan realized that Dylan and Alice, along with their real-world technical team, were executing a "starvation marketing" strategy, creating a mystery that fueled the hype and other players’ desire to belong.
As he processed the scale of it all, another notification from Lisa popped up.
[Lisa: Hayes, here’s your admin access key. Now you also have full control over the page, just like me, Dylan, and Alice.]
Lohan froze for a moment, staring at the string of characters that made up the access key as a feeling of belonging and recognition warmed his chest.
Even as the in-game Vice President, he hadn’t expected Isabella to entrust him with managing the guild’s public image in the real world.
For a young man who, until recently, had been invisible to society and had no experience in this area, having the access key to the organization’s real-world profile was a huge show of trust.
After linking the account and watching the frantic influx of new followers for a few more minutes, Lohan got ready. He ate his breakfast and, right after that, connected his neural helmet.
After yesterday’s battle, Lisa realized they needed to make the most of every available moment until Saturday to improve as much as possible; college would just be a waste of time, so she managed to get them a few more days off.
At this point, both of them being absent on the same days could raise some suspicions, since the pattern was repeating itself far too often, but neither of them cared about that at this point.
Lohan’s transition to Elysium was accompanied by the usual whirlwind of lights and the sensation of sensory expansion that the mythical race provided.
When Lohan "opened his eyes" inside the main hall of the fossilized tree in Mythlorien, he immediately realized that the base was operating at a war-like pace.
A group of guild Players, including Players from Dylan’s and Alice’s guilds, was arriving in the hall carrying wooden crates imbued with preservation seals.
The rhythmic sound of boots on the hydrated wooden floor echoed off the walls that Lohan had helped revitalize.
They were stocking up on supplies to be stored in the Astral Chest, supplies such as high-quality travel rations, barrels of purified water, and, most importantly, dozens of vials of mana and health regeneration potions that had been purchased in Thalendor.
Much of the savings accumulated up to that point had been depleted, but no one was worried about it. As the guild grew, those few gold coins could be recouped in no time.
Saturday’s dungeon raid was approaching, and no one wanted to repeat the resource shortage that had nearly cost Lisa and the players their lives in the battle against the Level 15 Elite monster.
Upon noticing the presence of the glowing blue jellyball, the atmosphere in the hall shifted subtly.
"Good morning, Vice President!" exclaimed Dee, the tank warrior, giving a slight nod as he carried a heavy crate. "The group has already finished the first gathering route."
Lohan noticed that the respect in those players’ eyes had risen to a whole new level.
Before, despite knowing of his strength, many still saw him merely as a useful support. Now, after witnessing Halon’s raw power at its peak, the Slime that had devoured the entrails of an elite monster and coordinated everyone’s survival, they saw him as the true pillar of Astralis Requiem.
Lohan vibrated his membrane and formed a small bluish hand, gesturing for them to continue their work. He rolled toward the guild entrance, where Mythlorien’s sunlight filtered through the colossal leaves.
There, he found Elle and Pip.
The little fairy Elle was extremely busy.
She was flitting back and forth with her hands full of seeds and mana dust, decorating the entrance to the tree.
Wherever Elle touched, exotic flowers with blue petals and luminous vines sprouted instantly, transforming the guild’s austere entrance into an ethereal garden that seemed to breathe.
Pip, on the other hand, maintained a more rigid posture. The little fairy boy, whose wings still retained the metallic sheen left over from Queen Beetle’s energy, patrolled the entrance archway with a small sword.
Upon seeing Halon, Elle stopped what she was doing, leaving a trail of shimmering pollen in the air.
"Halon’s back! Elle’s happy to see that Halon’s okay!" exclaimed the little fairy, flapping her wings enthusiastically.
However, Pip approached with slumped shoulders, his expression heavy with a despondency that contrasted with his sister’s joy. The little fairy hesitated for a moment and looked away.
"Pip is sad..." he murmured, his voice weak and dejected. "Pip wanted to be with Halon and Lady Lisa in the dangerous battle. Pip feels that Pip is useless to the guild if Pip just stays here staring at the trees."
Lohan rolled until he was right in front of the boy, sensing the sincerity of his anguish.
He had recently realized that the experience of being turned into a weapon by Queen Beetle had left scars on Pip’s self-esteem, and now Pip was desperately seeking to prove his worth.
"Pip, listen to what I have to say," Lohan conveyed through the mental link, keeping his voice calm and firm. "You’re not useless. You and Elle are the eyes and heart of this Guild. Without you, enemies could approach without our knowing it and steal everything we’ve achieved. But there’s a reason I don’t take Pip into battles like the last one."
Lohan paused, making sure Pip was paying attention.
"Otherworlders like us can come back to life if our bodies fall... but for Pip and Elle, death is permanent. I can’t risk losing such a valuable friend before making sure you’re strong enough to protect yourselves."
Pip looked at Lohan, surprise crossing his face. "Does Halon consider Pip a friend?"
"Yes, and friends look out for each other," Lohan replied, cupping his small hand and touching Pip’s shoulder. "Does Pip want to be stronger? Does Pip want to be able to fight alongside Halon next time?"
The fairy boy straightened up instantly, his eyes shining with renewed determination. "Pip really does! Pip will do anything to get better!"
"Then come on. Let’s head to a training session," Lohan invited, gesturing toward the inner hall where the mana density was higher and where they would be able to have some privacy while doing the upgrades.