Scale Abyss Realm, Releasers Inc. Gathering.
"Zhongshan, these two are the young talents planning to join our [Releasers Inc.]?"
"That's right~ She's called Stelle—you might have heard of her... She's the distinguished guest General Jing Yuan from the Divine Foresight invited. And beside her is her companion, Adrian."
"When did I say I wanted to join?" Stelle didn't get it.
"From the moment you came with me to meet these four, right? What, I thought you followed me here with a heart full of goodwill, planning to learn about the [Abundance] Path and [Releasers Inc.]?" Zhongshan put on the air of a kindly old soul.
At last, Bena noticed something off: "Wait... Aren't these the two experts I hired to investigate the missing Faunus red-haired sheep case? Have you figured out the truth behind the disappearance?"
Zhongshan answered for Stelle: "All cleared up, all cleared up. A bunch of Abundance abominations ate your little lambs... But no worries—our heroine Stelle here already took them all out!"
"Chivalry in action—no need to reimburse medical fees, heh..."
What followed was Doniya's shriek: "T-Took them out? You actually killed all my released little wolves? What a cruel act!"
Doniya's heart took a massive hit. She whipped around to criticize Zhongshan's poor word choice.
"And you, Zhongshan! What do you mean 'Abundance abominations'? How many times do I have to say it—do the blessings of the Medicine Master count as 'abominations'?"
"Doniya, so it was you behind this! I thought the Scale Abyss Realm had no fierce beasts, that's why I released the Faunus red-haired sheep there. Why'd you release those wolves too?"
"Of course, so the wolf cubs could enjoy the Scale Abyss seascape—you wouldn't understand."
Seeing Bena and Doniya on the verge of another fight, Hissman stepped in to stop them: "You two—shut it."
"My golden-edged alfalfa... All eaten by the sheep." The light in his eyes suddenly dimmed, his brows furrowing slightly, as if an invisible gloom had abruptly shrouded his entire face.
"Those damn alfalfa of yours grew rampant across the hills, wrecking that planet's ecosystem. Otherwise, would the red-haired sheep have overrun the place? If the red-haired sheep weren't overrunning, they wouldn't have been hunted by the locals!"
As she spoke, Zhongshan's lips pressed into a slightly heavy straight line, her shoulders sagging imperceptibly.
"Sigh~ I wouldn't have had to go through hell and high water to buy them at premium prices just to release them!"
"Terrifying—they released an entire food chain." Stelle snarked.
"Enough! Stop arguing! What does all this bickering look like in front of outsiders?" Nannan, the mineral water releaser, spoke up—only to face unanimous opposition from everyone except Screwlloyd, as expected.
"Save your breath, you mineral water clown! And that milk tea lunatic."
Nannan wasn't having it: "How'd releasing Scale Abyss ice spring hurt you? Releasing Scale Abyss ice spring... Urgh, at least it doesn't drag me into your ridiculous food chain wars! What the hell are you all even doing? Releasing or beast-fighting?"
"Don't fan the flames here, you on-probation hack!" Bena straight-up revoked Nannan's right to speak.
"Natural drinking water from the Scale Abyss Realm—no calories listed, looks truly zero-cal, but packs a massive caloric punch." Adrian chimed in with some trivia. HE ran a milk tea joint, after all—HE knew his stuff.
"Colorless and tasteless like spring water, yet sugary and fatty like milk tea—maximizes guilt-free calorie dodging."
Adrian triggered a combo, pulling out his own milk tea for a quick promo plug.
"Hah? Oh~ I get it now! That milk tea this guy's releasing—wasn't it bought from you?" Doniya snatched Adrian's milk tea and grilled Screwlloyd:
"Answer me—why release milk tea? Don't you think that's wasting materials?"
Screwlloyd explained unhurriedly, "Madam, you seem to have misunderstood my actions. But no matter— I merely wished to nourish the surging seas. As for wasting materials..."
"Question: Have any of you heard of the [Eternity Church]?"
Spotting Screwlloyd about to flip the script and sell, Zhongshan and Stelle blocked him in time.
"Miss Stelle, long time no see." Screwlloyd bowed courteously to her, his waist bending into an elegant arc—the picture of gentlemanly poise in that single gesture.
"You all duke it out—winner's right, and I'll ref." Adrian suggested.
"Whoa, no~ Violence is so uncool. Walking the [Abundance] Path means cherishing life—we can't go hurting ourselves."
Zhongshan played peacemaker: "Alright, everyone, simmer down. Sure, Stelle killed Doniya's released wolves and ruined a good deed, but now she's willing to atone by joining [Releasers Inc.]—boundless merits ahead."
"The Astral Express is all about heart-to-heart bonds, so I'm sure her companion, Mr. Adrian, wouldn't refuse, right?"
"No, I refuse."
Adrian's lips curved high, baring a row of pristine white teeth. His smile seemed to shatter the sunlight, instantly lighting up his entire face—bright, open, without a trace of shadow.
Across from him, Zhongshan met that excessively radiant grin head-on, like being scorched by a blinding beam. Her expression froze, lips parted in a stalled question, her bright eyes brimming with shock.
Re... Refused? Dude really doesn't play by the rules, huh?
"In the end... it's all on me, isn't it?" Stelle slowly lowered her gaze, long lashes casting a small shadow beneath her eyes. Yet her lips, tugged by invisible strings, held a perfectly measured downward pout.
The sigh that escaped was drawn out and soft, wrapped in a veil of gossamer, its trailing note carrying a hint of un faded, almost crystalline resonance—betraying that touch of contrived helplessness.
Seeing Stelle's Oscar-worthy acting, even Adrian thought she deserved a Universal Best Little Golden Man—such a waste she wasn't a [Mask of Fools].
"Uh haha... So, what do the rest of you think?" Zhongshan tossed the hot potato to the five of [Releasers Inc.].
"Wah, my little wolves... No! I disagree!"
"I don't mind—after all... they really did help me solve the Faunus red-haired sheep thing."
"I disagree too! This one's clearly all about fighting and killing—where's the grasp of [releasing]'s true essence?" Nannan opposed.
The moment Doniya heard him object, she rescinded her own: "Shut it, you mineral water freak! Hmph, I approve her joining, but I'll hold her to extra strict standards."
"I... agree." Hissman pondered long and hard before replying.
"Excellent! Three votes all in favor! I recall joining [Releasers Inc.] requires an initiation trial, right? How about we brainstorm what trial to set for Stelle this time?"