[The Abyssal Academy - The Grand Foyer]
The heavy iron doors of the Abyssal Academy didn't just open; they were violently blown off their hinges by a Tier-4 explosion spell. The scent of ozone and pulverized oak filled the freezing morning air.
Stepping through the smoke was "The Lion's Roar," a famous A-Rank adventuring party. The Vanguard was a towering barbarian holding a glowing battleaxe, flanked by an Elven Ranger and a dual-wielding Rogue.
"Fear not, captive Princess!" the Barbarian roared, his voice echoing through the brightly lit, neon-drenched foyer. "We saw the desperate bounty at the Guild! We have come to slay the evil Principal, claim the legendary artifact, and free you from this nightmare!"
Standing in the center of the foyer, holding her wooden clipboard, was Elara. She wasn't tied up. She was wearing her Paladin armor, looking profoundly depressed.
"I'm not captive," Elara whispered, rubbing her temples. "I'm the Growth Partner. Please just put your weapons down and walk into the chute."
The adventurers blinked, utterly confused by the neon signs and the toll booths.
"A trick of the mind!" the Rogue hissed, drawing his poisoned daggers. "The dark mages are playing with us! Slay them all!"
Before the Rogue could take a single step, the shadows on the ceiling detached.
Fifty elite Vampire and Dark Elf students dropped to the floor, surrounding the adventurers in a perfect circle. But the students weren't snarling with bloodlust. They weren't chanting death curses.
Lord Sterling, the High-Vampire noble, pulled out a magical calculator.
"Appraisal complete," Sterling announced, his eyes glowing red as he stared at the Barbarian's axe. "Full set of Mythril armor, three enchanted weapons, and high-grade health potions. Estimated gross value: One hundred and twenty thousand Gold."
"That's a massive boost to our Q3 earnings!" an Orc yelled from the back, holding a giant canvas sack.
"Secure the dividend!" Sterling ordered.
The adventurers expected a fight to the death. Instead, they were hit with a highly coordinated, hyper-efficient mugging.
The Vampires didn't aim for the throat; they aimed for the buckles. Moving with supernatural speed, they bypassed the Barbarian's defenses entirely, unstrapping his Mythril chest plate and tossing it into the Orc's sack. The Dark Elves cast localized gravity spells, pinning the Rogue and the Ranger to the floor just long enough to violently strip them of their magical rings and spellbooks.
"My axe! He took my axe!" the Barbarian screamed, standing in his undergarments as the Class-A Chimera trotted past, snatching the glowing weapon in its jaws and dropping it into a secure vault chute.
Up in the Security Control Room, Victor Thorne stood behind the one-way glass, adjusting his midnight-blue cuffs.
"Extraction time: forty-two seconds," Seraphina noted on her clipboard. "The students' efficiency has increased by four hundred percent since the launch of the Systematic Investment Plan."
"Of course it has," Victor took a sip of his black coffee. "Before, they were fighting for their lives. Now, they are fighting for their portfolios. When employees become shareholders, productivity skyrockets."
Victor tapped his gold-nibbed pen on the Tycoon's Ledger.
BING.
Down in the foyer, Elara's pocket vibrated. A small, golden receipt materialized in her hand. [Affiliate Commission Deposited: 6,000 Gold. Remaining Debt: 384,000 Gold. Keep up the good work!]
Elara fell to her knees, crying quietly into her hands as the naked, shivering A-Rank adventurers were unceremoniously thrown out the front gates into the mud. She had successfully converted her first leads.