CHAPTER 396: ECHOES OF CHANGE

Lance lowered the gun after a long moment, his expression tightening when Crystal placed her hand on his arm. He looked at her, at the blindfold, at the faint sharpness in her features that had not been there before. Then he slowly let go of the gun, disappearing into particles of light before it hit the ground, though his eyes stayed locked on Luna and Greg.

Crystal stepped between them. "Dad. Please. They are with me."

He said nothing at first. He only looked at them for a long moment before finally nodding once. "Fine. But you and I are going to talk. There is too much that has happened while you were gone."

Crystal crossed her arms, still tense. "Then talk."

Lance ran a hand down his face and reached for the half-empty glass of whiskey before thinking better of it. He set it back down and leaned against the edge of his desk. His shoulders sagged, but when he spoke, there was an edge to his words, a tightness that had nothing to do with anger.

"After the first reports of your disappearance spread, the world changed," Lance said. "At first, the people who never played thought the leveling system was a novelty, something that would fade. However with the confirmed increase in strength and ability, everything changed. Governments panicked. Corporations fought to claim players with potential. Military groups started recruiting people who could fight monsters. We had riots in some cities because people feared what might happen if players grew too strong. Some called for restrictions. Others called it the beginning of a new era."

Greg whistled low under his breath but stayed quiet this time, glancing at Luna, who still held her weapon loosely at her side.

Lance continued, his eyes fixed on Crystal. "Our city became the center of it all because of you and your friends. The first eight players to reach Level 20 were from here. You made this place a symbol. The government decided to build a school for the strongest players. A place to train them, study them, keep them close. Construction was completed last week. Enrollment closes in a few days."

Luna blinked. "That fast?"

Greg gawked. "Wait, hold on. You are saying the government built a whole school in what, months? That is insane."

Lance nodded grimly. "You have no idea the kind of pressure they were under. Every nation wants its strongest players protected. Trained. Controlled, if possible. But this school is more than that. It is supposed to prepare humanity for what might come next."

Crystal frowned, her arms tightening across her chest. "Of course. Control dressed up as protection."

Lance looked at her but did not respond right away. He took a slow breath before speaking again. "Regardless of what you think, humanity has accelerated in the leveling process. The average casual player has already reached Level 15. But no one has passed Level 20 since you and your companions did." He paused, his gaze flicking to Luna and Greg. "At least, not until recently."

Greg tilted his head. "Recently?"

Lance nodded. "Three new people reached Level 20 in the last month. It shocked the entire world. Everyone is searching for them, but no one has managed to find them. They appeared, hit Level 20, and vanished again."

Greg opened his mouth. "That must be—"

Luna jabbed him sharply in the ribs with her elbow, cutting him off.

He grunted. "Ow. What was that for?"

Luna ignored him and looked directly at Lance. "Those three new Level 20 players have the user ID of Morgana, Dante, and Tera, right?"

Lance’s brows rose faintly, the first real sign of surprise he had shown since lowering the gun. "Yes," he said after a moment. "Those are the names circulating through the networks. No one knows who they are or where they came from. How did you know?"

Luna rested her axe against her shoulder. "Because they are our companions."

That made him pause. His gaze moved from Luna to Crystal, as though trying to read whether this was a joke. But their expressions told him it was not.

"I see," Lance said slowly. He straightened slightly, some of the weariness leaving his posture. "Then I would very much like to meet them."

Crystal’s frown deepened. "That is not up to me."

Lance looked at her sharply. "You are saying no?"

"I am saying I would have to ask our guild leader," Crystal said carefully. "It is not my decision to make."

Her father’s eyes narrowed just slightly. The refusal was indirect, polite even, but a refusal all the same. He seemed to take it in slowly before leaning back against the desk again.

"You still do not trust me," Lance said finally.

Crystal did not answer.

And maybe that was answer enough because he let out a faint breath, almost like a laugh with no humor in it. "I suppose I cannot blame you for that. I was not exactly the best father before you disappeared."

Crystal stared at him but said nothing.

Luna shifted slightly, glancing between them before asking, "What else changed while we were gone? You make it sound like the whole world turned upside down."

Lance gave her a flat look. "Because it has. Monsters have started appearing in more places. Higher level zones are expanding. And people are getting stronger faster than anyone expected. The world is moving toward something, and no one knows what that something is. The school is only one part of it. Governments are stockpiling resources, training soldiers, building alliances. It feels like we are preparing for a war we do not understand yet."

Greg crossed his arms. "And let me guess. The three new Level 20 players appearing out of nowhere has everyone nervous too."

"More than nervous," Lance said. "It has the heads of state demanding answers no one has. Whoever Morgana, Dante, and Tera are, they have become the most wanted players in the world."

Luna smirked faintly. "Then I guess it is a good thing they are hard to find."

Lance looked at her, not missing the meaning behind her words.

Crystal shifted again, clearly uncomfortable. "I told you, it is not up to me who meets them. And I will not promise anything."

Her father frowned at that but nodded slowly. "Very well. But if your guild leader agrees, I want that meeting. The world needs to know what kind of people hold that kind of power."

Crystal’s expression tightened. "And if we decide the world is not ready to know?"

Lance met her eyes evenly. "Then the world will keep searching. And one day, someone will find out anyway."

The room fell silent after that, the weight of his words settling over all of them.