Meeting Alice

Then—

A single voice shattered the silence.

"IT'S MAX!"

And chaos erupted.

"Holy Moly! We just surrounded the number one genius of the East Region!"

"Max! He's really back!"

"Damn, I can't believe it! It's actually him!"

—

The guild members lost control—

Their excitement exploding like a flood.

They rushed forward, their voices overlapping—

Throwing questions at Max one after another—

"Max! Who gave you the hardest time in the Battle Realm?!"

"Max! Can you train me a bit?!"

"Max! Join my department!"

"Max! I'm alone tonight..."

—

Max—

Completely stunned—

Could only step back—

As the crowd surged closer.

A wry smile crept onto his face.

'This is crazy...'

Then—

A loud voice cut through the chaos—

Sharp. Commanding. Unyielding.

"EVERYONE, STEP ASIDE!"

The guild members immediately froze.