Still, Victor soon noticed that not everyone was taking this update positively.

  Noobzilla: “Hah! I was right! This shady game company has finally shown its true colors. Wanting to keep everything free, my ass. The monthly subscription fee is clear proof that this is all a scam. Everything about this game is fake. You are all actors. And those footages in the forum are AI-generated!”

  GladiusZone: “This guy is crawling out from the grave. ????”

  MistYugo: “What this guy said is an exaggeration. But the monthly subscription makes me worry if the game will turn into a pay-to-win MMO. I remember many great games turning into a cash grab not long after they were released.”

  ZeroXScyth: “It’s fine if you still want to blind yourself for more than half a year. But don’t ever try spouting baseless nonsense. Besides, are you expecting a game company not to try recouping their development expense? That’s like demanding a house but refusing to pay rent or a mortgage.”

  Squadzell: “That’s right! Go back to your hellhole. (｀Д′) @Noobzilla”

  Noobzilla: “Shut the fuck up, fakes! This monthly subscription is just the beginning. I’m certain that they will steal your money in one way or another, or even sell your information. Your Ponzi scheme won’t fool me! If there are still real people here, you should run away while you still can!”

  MikeisHandsome1000x: “This guy is just jealous. I bet he’s been waiting all this time to be chosen as a tester, but he was never chosen. And honestly? It’s no surprise.”

  Mythos Detective: “I’ve already reported him to the mod team, along with his alt accounts that I managed to trace. He should be gone from the forum, at least for a while.”

  Victor hadn’t expected this guy to show up again as soon as he announced the monthly subscription fee. But then again, Noobzilla had always been persistent. Victor remembered seeing his name pop up on dozens of applications using different accounts, each more desperate than the last. Of course, he was never chosen. Who in their right mind would let a known troll into their game?

  But if I were to allow him in, it could make for some twisted fun, he thought. Maybe inside a disposable golem rigged to explode in the middle of an enemy line, or perhaps a remotely controlled puppet for stress-testing a spell?

  Victor chuckled at the thought but ultimately shook his head. It wouldn’t serve any real purpose other than satisfying a passing whim. Torturing him would be amusing but unnecessary.

  Regardless, the monthly subscription debate wasn’t confined to just one thread. Other players also weighed in with their opinions.

  Inghelta: “Honestly, I don’t like subscriptions either, but I’d rather have that than predatory lootboxes shoved in my face. At least with a sub, everyone pays the same.”

  Castlefrost: “Exactly. People keep forgetting this isn’t some indie project — it’s practically the first full-dive VR world. Maintaining the server alone must be insanely expensive. In fact, ten dollars would be way too cheap. Many people would pay tens of thousands of dollars for the chance to play the game.”

  SuperNovaX: “Still, I hope they add some kind of loyalty reward for early testers. We stuck around back when the game barely had content, and I think that deserves something.”

  The debate raged on. Some hailed the subscription fee as a necessary evil to sustain long-term development and infrastructure, while others saw it as the first step toward unchecked corporate greed. The community remained divided on this.

  Victor read through the discussion further, but other than players excitedly talking about the new content and the transition to open beta, there was nothing that particularly caught his attention.

  “Master,” Lizbeth reported rather seriously, “I have received reports from some players that there seem to be suspicious people investigating the game on Earth. They appear to be from various national governments.”

  Victor furrowed. “National governments?”

  “That’s right. So far, we’ve detected at least three instances in which state-backed investigators have made contact with our players. What’s more, they’re from different countries,” Lizbeth explained.

  Victor leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers beneath his chin. “I suppose it was only a matter of time,” he murmured. “A completely immersive VR world with no official ties to any major tech conglomerate, running on technology decades ahead of current Earth capabilities… Of course, governments would start poking around.”

  As a matter of fact, he was more surprised that it had taken them this long to act. Even with Auralise’s company — Spinula Tech Innovations — officially backing the project on paper, that alone wasn’t nearly enough of a smokescreen to avoid scrutiny.

  “What should we do?” Lizbeth asked. “They’re not just poking around. They’re trying to trace server origins, capsule production facilities, and even interviewing testers who’ve posted about the game too openly online.”

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  “Ha, let them dig all they want — they won’t find a damn thing.” Victor sneered. Not even he knew where the former headmaster had stashed the seemingly endless supply of gaming capsules. For all he knew, there could be a hidden factory churning them out somewhere, likely operated by that enigmatic figure who handled deliveries. If Victor had to hazard a guess, the person might be a puppet, a familiar, or perhaps even a high-level golem left behind by the former headmaster.

  Still, Victor was someone who preferred offense rather than defense.

  If Earth’s governments pushed too far, it could threaten the illusion that Magus Academy Online was just a game. The last thing he needed was public perception spiraling into conspiracy theories or governments attempting to shut it all down. Which meant it was time to prepare a countermeasure — a plan to misdirect or even sabotage any spies that came too close.

  “Liz, keep monitoring the situation and contact Auralise,” Victor instructed. “Tell her we must safeguard the technology behind the fully immersive VR game from prying eyes at all costs. Also, inform her that KuroUsagi and his friends have joined as the game’s special staff. I want her to provide them with whatever support they require.”

  “M’kay!” She nodded briskly and immediately got to work.

  Victor continued scrolling through the forum while awaiting Auralise’s reply. To his surprise, it took less than ten minutes before Lizbeth returned with news.

  “Master, she wishes to speak with you directly — face to face, if possible,” she reported.

  What Lizbeth meant was Victor’s identity as the game’s promotional manager. Auralise had long stopped requesting meetings with him, knowing how relentlessly busy he was. But this time, the matter seemed urgent enough that she was willing to push for a personal audience.

  “Hmm… a face-to-face meeting is obviously impossible, but a video call is not.” He reasoned that all it would take was a carefully chosen virtual background and the Mask of Impersonation to alter his features. That way, his identity as the Sanctum’s headmaster would remain safely concealed.

  Lizbeth, the assistant fairy, fluttered to his side. “Shall I set up the call, Master?” she asked.

  Victor confirmed, “Yes. Route it through the secure channel. Make sure the connection cannot be traced.”

  “Understood.” She tapped swiftly at the holographic screen before her to tell Auralise and send the video call request.

  Victor retrieved the Mask of Impersonation from his interspatial ring and placed it over his face. At once, its surface transformed, molding into the features of a young man in his early to mid-twenties, with black hair and steady brown eyes. It was the very same visage he had borne as Simon in his previous life. Wearing this face again stirred a faint, melancholic feeling within him.

  Moments later, a holographic screen flickered to life through his Shadowlink Mark. A loading symbol spun for several seconds before giving way to a familiar figure. MissRichLadyAuralise — known on Earth as Monica Caswell — appeared on the display.

  She looked every bit the vision of a rich lady with refined beauty: golden-blonde hair cascaded in soft waves over her shoulders. Her eyes, a crystalline shade of teal, carried both warmth and unshakable confidence. A tailored, cream-colored coat framed her slender form, trimmed with decorative buttons that gave her the air of nobility. Despite the delicate curve of her lips and the elegance of her posture, there was a keen sharpness in her gaze, the look of someone accustomed to commanding a room.

  “Greetings, CyberWarlock,” she said in a tone that was neither polite nor overbearing—a sharp contrast to her usual demeanor in the game. “I believe this is our first time meeting face to face, am I right?”

  “That is correct, Miss Monica. Oh, and you may call me Simon,” Victor replied evenly.

  “Very well, Mr. Simon. Then let’s not waste time.” Monica inclined her head slightly. “We need to speak frankly. I’m already aware of the investigations being done by various government bodies into the game and the technology behind it. As a major shareholder, we are obligated to assist in resolving the issue. However, your request to extend our resources toward supporting KuroUsagi in real life goes far beyond the terms of our original agreement. I need to know… what exactly are you trying to accomplish?”

  “I understand your concerns. But for several reasons, this is not something we can handle directly. Our company carries secrets that cannot be revealed to anyone — not even to you. At least, not yet,” Victor explained.

  He wasn’t sure how Monica would react if she discovered that Magus Academy Online was not a game at all, but an actual world disguised as a fully immersive VR experience. Monica was sharp, and if she pressed too hard, the truth might slip. The risks of exposing that truth were too great, even greater than the dangers of KuroUsagi and his friends uncovering it on their own.

  “Always with that secrecy, huh…” She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at Victor. “I think we’ve already done more than enough to support you. Unless you can give me a satisfying answer — or an equal benefit — I see no reason to continue helping you. After all, we still haven’t recovered our investment from the game.”

  Victor furrowed his brows. Indeed, an equal exchange was essential when negotiating between two parties of similar standing. As a powerful Magus, he knew of this the best. At this moment, however, she held greater influence on Earth, and he was the one in need. It was only natural that she demanded something in return.

  The problem was obvious. Within the academy, Auralise lacked nothing. She commanded near-unlimited resources, possessed a high-rank meditation technique, and had an army of players at her beck and call. Granting her anything more risked destabilizing the delicate balance of the game, making her more powerful than she already was.

  He knew that Monica’s true aim was to obtain the technology behind the gaming capsule and the fully immersive VR game that was Magus Academy Online. It wasn’t that Victor was unwilling to hand it over, but that kind of technology didn’t exist in the first place. How could he possibly give her something that wasn’t real? He couldn’t just fabricate a piece of science-fiction hardware out of novels and wild theories, could he?

  After several long seconds of thinking, he sighed. “Well, this may come as a shock to you. But what if I told you that magic can be used on Earth?” If she were going to help KuroUsagi, she would inevitably come to learn of it sooner or later.

  Monica’s eyes widened, but the momentary surprise quickly gave way to a dismissive laugh. “Ha! Are you serious? Is this supposed to be a joke? Telling me lies won’t help your case at all.”

  “I’m serious.” Victor’s expression hardened.

  “You… what?”

  Volume 1 and

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