Seven days ago, Almond and the others wore status markers that told the system, in every language it recognized, that they belonged to someone else. Then the slave status disappeared the moment they won in the Slave Game, and what replaced it was cleaner and came with a very different set of open doors.
One of those doors led directly into the service of royalty. Five kings, specifically, which was a detail that still felt slightly absurd if you thought about it too hard.
Their first Hell Mode Quest was also completed the moment their slave status was removed, which boosted them to Tier-10 instantly, significantly increasing their combat power.
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